Past Decisions, Future Uncertainties
by xxAugustaxx
Summary: Different spin on the Madisonbaby storyline. What if Andy was left in the dark as well about the pregnancy? What if Madison simply left town? The one day, Ephram finds the surprise of his life on the front porch. bad at summaries, read to find out.
1. Prologue

****

Past Decisions, Future Uncertainties

Author's Note: Hey everyone! At last, I finally decided to write an Everwood fic! So here is my attempt of changing things concerning the Madison/baby storyline that was first introduced in the season two finale, "The Day Is Done." The first part of this story takes place at the end of season 2, although I have changed it. (I won't say much more, you guys will have to read on to find out). The rest of the story after that will be taking place in season 3/season 4- but it won't be like the season 3 that aired on TV. A lot will be changed because I changed this first part. Anyways… I hope you guys enjoy the story. I'm not necessarily saying this is how I wished it happened, it's just my way of dealing with this particular storyline that I really didn't care for. Oh, one last thing; in this story, Rose does NOT have cancer.

****

Prologue

Dr. Brown had a feeling this day was different from the others from the moment he awoke that morning to the time he stepped foot in his office, which had once been a train station in Everwood. As usual, as soon as he got there, Andy and his nurse, Edna, exchanged good mornings while he poured himself a hot cup of coffee, in hopes to further awaken him.

As he slowly sipped on his hot mug of coffee, Andy glanced around his office. His office in Everwood was so different from the office he had back in New York City. He wouldn't trade anything in the world for getting to wake up every morning and going there. Nor would he trade anything for his family, and the mending that had been done between him and his son, Ephram.

"Heya Doc, I gotta go pick up a few supplies at the store. Think you can hold down the fort while I'm gone?" Edna asked as she walked into the room, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked at her and smiled.

"I sure can. Besides, my first appointment isn't until eleven," he explained, setting his cup of coffee down.

Edna looked at him oddly. "Then why the heck are you here so early?"

"I figured I'd catch up on some paperwork I've been putting off," he explained as he grabbed some papers off Edna's desk for emphasis.

Edna smiled at Andy as she grabbed her purse. "There's more from where that cam from in your office, ya know."

Andy laughed. "I'm sure there is." A few moments later, Edna said goodbye to Andy before disappearing out the front door, leaving Andy alone in the office. He stood there a few more moments before grabbing his cup of coffee and disappearing into his office, ready to tackle some paperwork.

A little while later, Andy was sitting behind the desk in his office; the behind paperwork he had to tend to was almost finished. He felt as if he had been very productive that morning. He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair, taking a break.

His gaze fell upon the pictures he had on his desk and smiled. His office in New York City, Andy had pictures of his family, but didn't much take the time to look at their smiling faces. But things were different now. Now he made sure to look at the pictures on his desk each and every day, and today was no different. The first picture on his desk was in a frame by itself; it was a picture of his wife, Julia. Seeing her face and that radiant smile smiling up at him from the pictures he kept helped him go on each day. He would forever miss her, but with each day, the pain caused by her unexpected death lessened a little more.

He then moved his attention to the picture of Delia and Ephram, taken just this past year. He looked at the photograph of his two children and felt an overwhelming sense of pride. The past year and a half had been hard on all three of them, yet they seemed to all have survived; they even got to know one another and become a real family in the process. He and Ephram also seemed to have come to terms, which meant a lot to him. The one thing he regretted about his old ways of life was that it had almost cost him his son. Sometimes it scared him, looking back and realizing how blind and careless he had been when it had come to his own family.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening and closing drew him out of his thoughts. He looked over at the clock, which read a little after ten; too early for his eleven o clock patient. Andy tilted forward and got up from his chair, before heading to the main office.

"Got everything you-" Andy began, assuming it was Edna returning from her errand running, but instead discovered a very distressed looking young woman standing there.

The young woman happened to be Madison Kellner, the college student he had hired in the beginning of the year to take care of Delia. At the time, he had thought it a good idea; Delia would get another female figure to look up to and Ephram would get to 'have a life,' as he had put it. But his thoughts on that idea quickly changed when he had learned that by Christmas time, Madison and Ephram had become a couple. Andy's internal red flag went up at the thought of Madison, who was twenty years old, and Ephram, barely seventeen, sneaking behind his back, in a relationship. The two had continued dating, even after he confronted the both of them, and even fired Madison and re-hired her for Delia's sake, until they had finally called it quit a few months ago. Since then, he hadn't seen her; until now.

"Madison, is everything okay?" he asked. She looked up at him with her sad brown eyes, making him feel bad for having fired her months before.

Madison quickly brushed the tears from her eyes as she met Andy's gaze. "I.." She opened her mouth to speak, to begin to explain, but words wouldn't come out. Unable to look Andy in the face any longer, Madison averted her gaze. "Is it alright that I'm here?" she asked finally.

"Of coarse. Is there anything I can get you?" he asked, still unsure as to what was wrong with her. She shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest. "I just wanted…" she stopped once more, unable to finish the sentence.

Andy's concern grew more and more as the seconds of silence between the two dragged on. He could tell by the look on her face that she was holding something back, but what was it?

"Listen, are you sure your alright?" he asked once more, putting his hand on her arm. She looked up at him once more.

"Not really. I-I think I need your help.." She averted her gaze once more as Andy sensed she was clamming up once more. A new batch of tears began to form in her eyes, and she brushed them away before they spilled down her cheeks. She looked back at him, as if searching his face.

"I-I can't do this," she said, taking a step back from him.

"Madison-" Andy began, taking a step towards her as she headed towards the front door. She was clearly upset about something and had come to him for help. Not she seemed to have lost her nerve.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brown," she apologized once more before disappearing out the door, leaving Andy standing there, dumbfounded.


	2. Chapter 1

****

Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello again! First off, I just wanna thank everyone so much for their comments. And that was only the prologue! I only hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as more chapters get posted. Speaking of… I apologize for taking so long with updating; lack of internet stood in the way of updating. This actually was a blessing in disguise because it gave me time to go back and rewrite some parts, hopefully bettering it, and making some much needed corrections. Please chime in with your thoughts, I love reading them and sometimes, they give me ideas. Now onto the chapter… (I apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter.)

Thirteen months later…

Ephram Brown sat in what used to be the garage before his father decided to turn it into a soundproof studio, in order to help him practice; his attention focused on nothing but the keys on the piano and the sound of the notes he played which filled the room. Not that he no longer needed to practice for hours on end as he had done that entire year; since he graduated from Peak County High two months beforehand, and got his acceptance letter in from Julliard, his worries had quickly faded. He was in. Everything was beginning to fall into place all around him; Amy had been accepted into a college in New York as well; best part was that they wouldn't be too far apart from one another.

They had even discussed the subject of sharing an apartment or something together. A topic they were still waiting to bring up to their parents…

He sighed, decided he needed a break. He got up from his computer chair and stretched his limbs before plopping down on the oh-so-very comfy couch his dad had put in there for him, folding his hands behind his head.

He sighed as he cast a glance over at the keyboard that was hooked up to the computer; it was sitting there, practically calling his name. He pictured the summer following his high school graduation to be more… exciting. Most kids planned a road trip amongst friends, or partied it out all summer. Not Ephram. Not in Everwood at least. Maybe if he was still in New York…

Pushing those thoughts aside, knowing it wouldn't do him any good dwelling on what he could be doing, Ephram decided to head inside and grab something to eat…and to see what they were up to inside. Maybe he could even talk Delia and his father into a round of Scrabble or Monopoly…

"Man this sucks," Bright Abbott said as he entered the living room, where Amy and her best friend, his girlfriend, Hannah were sitting together on the couch, enjoying an annual 'girls night only' event they created after realizing they needed to make time for one another as their toenail polish dried. Both girls cast him a look only reserved for when he was being annoying.

"I'm sorry, but there's absolutely nothing to do in this town." He walked further into the living room, over to the couch where he plopped down beside the two girls.

Amy looked at him. "And your just discovering this?" Bright sighed dramatically as he leaned back into the couch.

"Aww, poor baby," Hannah said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Your more than welcome to sit with us and watch the movie we picked up." Bright looked over at the TV, which was currently playing some chick flick he had never seen before. Nor was he interested in seeing. He made a face as he averted his gaze from the movie.

"No thanks," he said simply, although he continued to sit there, happy for the time being to be in the company of his girlfriend's presence even though a large part of him was going nuts from the lack of things to do.

"What's Ephram doing tonight? You guys should go have a boys night out," Amy suggested, taking her gaze off from their movie. Girls night just wasn't the same when your older brother was in the same room as you while your best friend began to cuddle with him…

"I don't know. Probably locked up in his garage playing that damn piano of his," he grumbled. "I swear, if he's not busy playing that thing, he's wrapped up in things concerning only you." He looked over at his sister.

"Don't look at me. It's not like you don't have plenty to do at your apartment; you just choose to not do things," Amy said back.

"Maybe you should call Ephram and see if he wants to help you do things around the apartment that needs done?" Hannah suggested, looking up at Bright.

He looked at her as if she had grown another head. "I think I'll go call Ephram. See if he wants to play ball." He bent down and kissed Hannah on the lips.

"See ya later," he said as he got up from the couch and disappeared out of the room.

"Finally, I thought he'd never leave," Amy mumbled, turning the television back up.

"Boys," Hannah said simply as the two girls resumed their evening.


	3. Chapter 2

****

Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hello again! So.. Not as many reviews as the prologue got… that's okay. It was a short chapter anyhow. Which is one of the reasons I decided to post up another chapter so soon. Let me know what you guys think!

Ephram looked over at Amy and smiled as the two of them sat on the couch in Ephram's house, cuddled up in a blanket with a bowl of popcorn beside them. His father had called earlier, apologizing up and down that he had to stay late at the office again. But Ephram hadn't minded this time. It allowed him to spend time with Amy at his house without his father around. Sometimes it wasn't a good thing that your girlfriend and father got along very well.

He looked back over to the TV, just as the end credits of the movie they had been watching began to roll. Amy looked up at Ephram and smiled as she tiredly stretched. As she stretched, Ephram reached over for the remote and turned the movie off, hitting the rewind button.

Amy looked over at Delia, who was fast asleep in the chair. "I wonder when we lost her."

"I think about halfway into the movie," Ephram said. Amy laughed quietly. The two sat the in silence for a few minutes, enjoying one another's company.

"We really need to find something else to do," Ephram said after a few moments of comfortable silence. "I mean were eighteen, not forty; we should be out enjoying the rest of the summer before college begins."

Amy smiled. "I think you forget where we are. Besides, we'll have plenty enough of fun in that city of yours soon enough. We should just enjoy the time we have left here in Everwood."

"Your really going to miss here that much?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Sure, I mean, there are some things I won't miss." She looked down at their entwined fingers. "But this is the only town I've ever lived in, ya know? I grew up here. All my family is here." She looked up at Ephram. "But I couldn't imagine not being wherever you are."

Ephram smiled at her. "Me too." He leaned down and kissed her. He could never get enough of kissing her. Even now, Ephram still felt like he and Amy together was some wonderful dream in which he was constantly in threat of awakening from. He thought back to the wonderful night they shared in her family's cabin; a night he'd never forget.

Ephram threaded his hands through Amy's silky blond hair as they continued kissing on the couch, the rest of the world fading from his mind. She had that effect on him always. One smile from her and Ephram was soaring high.

Amy giggled and began to squirm from under him. "We should probably continue this when your little sister isn't five feet away," she said, smiling, as she glanced briefly over at Delia, who hadn't moved an inch.

Ephram smiled, realizing she was right. If it weren't for her, he would have forgotten Delia was even in the room.. "Good point." He raked his fingers through his hair, getting his body under control once more.

Amy glance over at the clock on the wall. "Besides.. it's getting late, I should probably head home soon. Now that the movie is finished."

"Mmm," Ephram said simply, not wanting to move from the spot they were in on the couch; Amy's head rested on his chest while Ephram's arm was comfortably around her.

Just then, the front door opened and Andy entered the house. "Sorry it took so long. I had a few more things I didn't anticipate on finishing tonight until Edna all but threatened me just as I was about to leave…"

Amy and Ephram's gazes went to the front door, neither one of them moving.

"Yeah, she has a bad habit of doing that," Amy said as Andy entered the living room.

"That she does," Andy agreed, smiling. "Hello Amy."

She smiled back. "Hi Dr. Brown." Andy looked back and fourth between the two young lovers.

"So… what'd you guys do this evening?" he asked, in attempt to make conversation.

"Ah, you know, the usual; invited a lot of people over, had a kegger," Ephram said.

"You imagination never ceases to amaze me, Ephram," Andy said. The three of them smiled. "So you guys getting ready for life in the City?" he asked. "Not too much longer till you guys will be packing your bags, getting ready go leave."

"We got till the end of August before we gotta start packing; school doesn't start until September," Amy reminded him.

"Yeah, but you will want to be settled into your new place and whatnot before then. New York City is a big place."

"Yeah, that's true," Amy said.

"But don't worry, Ephram knows that city like the back of his hand; I'm sure you guys will be settled there in no time." Amy smiled as she looked over at Ephram.

Andy looked over at Delia, still fast asleep on the chair. "How long has she been out for?"

"We're not exactly sure," Ephram said. "Right now we're thinking about half way through the movie."

Andy smiled. "I'd better go bring her upstairs to bed. Amy, would you like me to drive you home afterwards?"

"No it's okay, I got it ," Ephram said, having already planned on bringing her home.

"Okay then. Have a good evening, Amy. It was nice seeing you."

"You too. Night Dr. Brown." Amy turned to Ephram. "Ready to go?"

"Of coarse," he said as he stood up, Amy following. "I'll be right back," he told Andy before heading out the door.

The car ride to the Abbott house was fairly quiet, with occasional small talk here and there, discussing the rest of their summer plans as well as New York life. It was true, Ephram did know that town in and out, despite the fact that he hadn't lived there in over three years now. He'd make sure to make Amy feel at home there.

As they pulled up in front of the house, Ephram noticed a few downstairs lights still on, which was odd since both Mr. and Mrs. Abbott got up early, meaning they both went to bed fairly early.

"Your parents still up?" he asked curiously as he put the car into park. It was bad enough it made the noises it made; to this day, he still resumed a love/hate relationship with his car.

"Probably Bright," Amy answered.

"Shouldn't he be at his own place watching TV?" Ephram asked. He knew that if he had his own place, he wouldn't be hanging out at home. Well… probably not.

"Are you kidding me? He spends more time here than at his place. He says it gets boring." She shrugged "Wanna come in and say hi?"

"I would, but it's getting pretty late, and I'm going to fall asleep in the car if I don't get to bed." But tell him I say 'hey'."

Amy smiled. "Okay." She leaned in and kissed Ephram goodbye. "I love you. Sleep well."

"I love you too." Amy reached over and opened the door then disappear out of the ancient vehicle. Ephram watched Amy head up the walkway, and up onto the porch, making sure she was inside safely before pulling away from the house and heading home.

The rest of the way home, all he thought about was how great things were going for him at that point in his life. Almost a little too good…


	4. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

****

Author's Note: Back again! Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys are great! I almost forgot to update, lol, I've been sooo busy! So someone asked if this was a Madison/Ephram fic; sorry to disappoint, but no it isn't. In fact, I'm still debating whether or not to have Madison return -briefly- in the story or not. But I'm still playing around with how exactly to end it, so.. Feel free to e-mail me any suggestions on what you'd like to see, how you'd like it to end. Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter!

The following morning, Ephram awoke to the smell of burnt food. A smell he was oddly accustomed to waking up to thanks to his father's inability to cook. Not that he minded; it just gave them one more excuse to eat take out.

As he lay there in his bed, he contemplated getting up out of bed and headed downstairs or laying up in bed a little longer, hoping he'd fall back asleep. Taking a small step towards making his decision, Ephram lifted his head up slightly to glance over at his digital alarm clock. He groaned and flopped back into the sea of blankets and covers. It was just a little after eight. Too early for him to get up. Too early for him to even be thinking. He buried his head under the pillows, willing himself to fall back asleep for a few more hours. After twenty minutes or so, Ephram realized there was no way he was falling back asleep; he groaned for the second time that morning as he tossed the blankets off of him and crawled out of bed.

After a quick stop to the upstairs bathroom, Ephram finally made his way downstairs to greet the day- as much as he didn't want to. As soon as he reached the downstairs, the smell of the food his father had been trying to cook smelled a bit stronger than before. He rolled his eyes as he headed for the kitchen, where he could hear his little sister happily chatting away with their father.

"I knew I could smell dad's cooking," Ephram mumbled as he walked over and took a seat at the table.

"Well this is a surprise. Normally you don't grace us with your presence till around eleven or so," Andy said, a smile on his face as he disposed of the burnt food in the frying pan.

"And I wish this morning was the same way." No one was up this time of the morning; besides his dad, and sister - and Nina, their neighbor. Actually, he was sure more people than that were up at this time, just none of his friends.

"Ephram, why do you sleep in so late?" Delia asked from the island in the middle of the kitchen. She would usually sit there and watch their father make an attempt at making a meal; he hoped she didn't learn from him.

"Because Ephram is a teenager and they require more sleep than the rest of us," Andy explained before Ephram could even open his mouth to answer. "Also because, they're lazy." Andy shot a smile over at his son, letting him know he was joking.

"Just wait till college classes start up. You won't be doing much sleeping in," Andy said.

"Unless of coarse, I have no morning classes," Ephram replied with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Are you really moving back to New York?" Delia asked.

"Yup. But that's not for another few months," he assured her. Delia sat there silently. By the look on her face, Ephram could tell she was thinking hard about something.

"Will you come back to Everwood? You know, for like holidays and stuff?"

Ephram glanced up at his father, then back to his sister. "I don't know. Maybe." He couldn't stand the look in his sister's face. When they were in New York, he about raised her, taking his father's place. While as they still argued and fought like typical siblings did, they also shared a closeness. A closeness he was sure they'd both miss when he left for college.

"But it's not like you guys can't come up and visit me," Ephram said. "And we'll keep in touch with letters, and phone calls and e-mails."

A faint smile appeared on Delia's face. "Okay." Ephram smiled back at her, glad he solved that problem. The three of them fell silent as they each did their own thing; Andy was busy cleaning up his mess while Delia watched, and Ephram was now looking at the paper that had been lying on the table.

"So what are you plans for today?" Andy asked a few minutes later.

Not looking up from the paper, Ephram replied. "Dunno yet. Probably see what Bright or Amy is doing."

"Like he does anything else," Delia muttered. Ephram briefly glanced up from the paper, over at his sister. Andy couldn't help but laugh at the comment Delia had made. In all honesty, it was basically true. He had hung out with Hannah a bit in the beginning, but since then, she and Amy had become close friends and she spend most of her time hanging out with Amy or Bright. Although the four of them would occasionally go hang out together.

"Ephram, would you mind taking out the trash for me?" Andy asked, looking down at the trash, which was clearly filled to the max.

"I'm doing something; why can't Delia do it?" he asked, looking up from the 'for sale merchandise' section of the paper. Every so often he would look in there to see if there was anything that caught his interest.

"Because I asked you to," Andy simply responded.

Ephram sighed. "Fine." He put the paper down back on the table and got up, heading over to the trash. Usually he and Delia took turns doing the chores; before that, Madison had been paid to do these things. _I wonder what she's been up to? _He asked himself. He was then surprised that that question had even popped into his head; he hadn't seen Madison since he bumped into her after they had broken up -which had been a little over a year now, and the last time she had even crossed his mind was around Christmas time when he had gotten a flyer that her band was in town.

Pulling his thoughts back to the present time, Ephram focused on the task at hand; taking out the trash. It was nice and filled so he had to fight with the bag for a few moments to close it shut before even heading out the door to put it out on the porch.

A single sight stopped him dead in his tracks. He dropped the garbage bag, his mouth wide open in surprise. There in front of him, a small car seat sat -with a baby inside! He took two tentative steps over towards the baby to be sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. The small baby in the car seat simply looked up at him, studying Ephram with great curiosity. What the hell was a baby doing on their porch? Ephram looked back, through the door in which he had left open, looked back towards the baby, then back towards the opened door once more.

"DAD!"


	5. Chapter 4

****

Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Glad to see people wanting an update! Well here it is! Hope you guys like it. No this is most definitely not a Madison/Ephram fic, so… sorry to the Madison/Ephram fans who are reading this fic.

Andy was chatting happily with Delia as he wiped down the little island in the middle of the kitchen when he heard a worried shout from Ephram coming from outdoors.

"Ephram, what is it?" He wasted no time tossing down the dish rag and heading out to find out what was wrong with Ephram; Delia right behind him.

When he reached the wide opened door, his gaze quickly caught on the thing Ephram's gaze had been locked on. The baby, who was covered up with a little blanket, was now kicking it's little feet, looking at them all.

"What the-" He looked over at Ephram, who was just as confused as he was at the moment.

"Dad? Is that a baby?" Delia asked from the doorway.

Andy remained silent, instead walking over to the car seat. "What are you doing out here, little guy?" he asked the infant as he lifted the car seat up. "Let's get him inside." Ephram nodded, following his father inside.

Once inside, Andy set the car seat down on top of the table and lowered the seat handle. How long had he been out there for? Hopefully not too long, although since Andy hadn't been out at all that day, he honestly couldn't say. More importantly, why would someone leave a small baby on his front porch?

"Why would someone leave their baby on our front porch?" Ephram asked, mirroring Andy's thoughts.

"I don't know," he said honestly. He reached in and picked the baby up, wanting to check the child out and see if he or she was okay. Upon seeing the child, he could tell he wasn't that old; around six months or so. Didn't the child's mother-or father- know it was dangerous to simply leave a baby that age out on someone's porch? Again his mind went back to the question of why would someone even leave their child with him?

"There's a note in here," Ephram said. Andy held the child close to him as he looked over at his son. Sure enough, Ephram picked up a note that had been on the side of the carrier, between the baby and the side.

"Let me see that," Andy said quickly, hoping his questions would be answered in this note. Perhaps there was a number or a name that could help him out? Ephram stood there, looking confused as ever, as Andy held the baby and held the note at the same time.

He felt all the color in his face drain as he read the letter.

__

Dear Ephram,

_I'm so sorry to have to do this but I had no other choice. I can no longer care for him as I had hoped. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this way but he may or may not be your son. He's is either yours or Jay's. I found out I was pregnant not long after we broke up. I had him January 18th, making him six months old. I thought I could take care of him myself but I can no longer financially support him, nor do I have the time required to raise a child._

Please find out which one of you is the father; I know your father can arrange the proper testing to do this. If the baby is yours and you cannot take responsibility for him, I have already signed adoption papers, which can be found on the side pocket of the diaper bag.

I hope you understand why I am doing this and will someday forgive me.Madison

Slowly Andy looked up at Ephram. This had to be a bad dream. He must not have woken up yet this morning. He glanced back down at the paper, wishing he had misread.

"Dad?" Ephram asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "What's it say?" he asked. Andy thought back to the day Madison had come into his office. He knew she was upset about something; if only he had tried harder to get it out of her…

Ephram walked over closer to his father. "Dad?"

Andy finally managed to focus. "Ephram… I…" he began. He looked back down at the baby, who was busy sucking on a pacifier. Could he really be holding his grandson? The thought alone dizzied Andy. How could Ephram, his eighteen year old son, who was getting ready to leave for college, possibly be a father? He looked up at Ephram, wanting to say something, but unsure of what to say.

Not wanting to wait any longer or an answer, Ephram grabbed the note from his father's hand and quickly began reading it. His eyes widened shortly after he began reading the note. His gaze quickly looked up at his father, as if to get a confirmation on what he was reading.

"Ephram…" he said, unsure of what to say or do, feeling just as shocked as he was sure Ephram was feeling at that moment.

"Dad, what's going on you guys are scaring me," Delia said from the side of him. He had forgotten she was even in to room, he was so shocked and taken of guard. He looked down at her.

"Delia, honey, why don't you go next door and play with Sam." Andy didn't think it was a good idea for Delia to be around right now, not while there were too many questions.

"But-"

"Delia, please," Andy said quickly. Delia didn't try and argue anymore, and instead, disappeared out the door muttering something to herself as she went.

"This is some sort of joke," Ephram said as soon as they heard the sound of the front door closing. "I-I-I mean, this-this is impossible! We-we used protection!" he exclaimed, his head spinning. He looked at his father once more. His gaze then fell down to the baby in his father's arms. The baby in question that could be in fact, his.

"We don't know anything yet, Ephram," Andy reminded him. "If what Madison says in this letter is true, you may not even be the father."

Ephram suddenly felt like he needed to sit down. He sat down in the chair he had been sitting in a few moments ago. "Oh my god," he said as he buried his face in his hands. There were simply too many things singing around in his head; how could Madison have cheated on him with Jay? When exactly did this happen? He and Madison hadn't even been 'together' that often. And when they were, they always- Oh no! The sudden memory hit him like lightening; there had been one time that the condom had broken. They hadn't given it much worry, but what if- he looked up at the baby once more- what if they had created a child that night?

The baby began to squirm in Andy's arms, obviously tired of being held in that one place. Andy carefully transferred him to his other arm and slowly began rocking side to side in hopes to calm the fussing baby.

"When can we get a paternity test done?" Ephram asked after a few more moments of silence.

"Well my office is equipped with the things needed to perform one-" Andy began.

"Great, let's go," Ephram said quickly, wanting to get this over with. He looked up at the baby once more, than quickly averted his gaze. No. he couldn't bring himself to look at the baby just yet.

"But once the test is done, I would need to send it to a lab," Andy continued, making sure Ephram knew exactly what the test was and how it was done. Ephram eased back down into the chair.

"How long will it take to know, once it's been sent there?" he asked.

"Depends. It can go from two weeks to two months depending on how busy they are." The room fell silent once more. The baby began to squirm once more, reminding Andy he needed to do something. Ephram threaded his fingers through his hair, trying to sort this all out in his head. He hadn't even been up for an hour yet. This was simply too much for him to comprehend all at once.

Sensing his son's confusion, Andy made the decision. "You look in the diaper bag while I go call the office." Ephram simply nodded before Andy went off to find the phone.

Ephram looked over at the plain colored diaper bag that sat on the floor for a few moments before grabbing it and putting it up on the table. Twenty minutes ago, he was sitting there, debating whether or not to hang out with Bright or Amy this afternoon; now he was going through a diaper bag belonging to his possible son. His and Madison's son.

Inside the diaper bag was at least five sets of clothes, diapers, wipes, a few soft toys, and a single bottle. He then felt around in the side pocket where sure enough, his hand found papers. Already knowing what they were, Ephram pulled the papers out and began reading over them. Sure enough, Madison had signed adoption papers. In fact, as he skimmed through the papers, it looked as if everything was taken care of. All they needed was to find out which one fathered the baby; Ephram or Jay.

Among the papers was a copy of the child's birth certificate. He glanced at that as well, although not much was filled out. Madison's name as well as the birth information was filled out, but the boxes such as 'Name of father' and all of the father's information was left blank. Even he baby's name was left blank and a sudden wave of anger coursed through Ephram. How could not even name her child, let alone leave him on someone's doorstep?

Just then, Andy returned in the kitchen with the baby. "Why don't you go get dressed. Edna made sure the things we need are there; we can do the test in ten minutes or so."

"Okay," he said as he got up from the table. He passed his father, and his gaze fell onto the baby once more.

Feeling a wave on uncertainty, Ephram continued on his way out of the kitchen and up to his room. The sooner they got the results in, the better.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Author's Note:** First off, I want to begin with a huge huge huge apology to everyone who has PM'd me and wrote me reviews begging me to update. They did not go unread nor unnoticed. I read them all (smiled at them) and made a note to do just that, but sadly, I relied on my crappy memory to remember to update later on that day, and ended up forgetting. Not that that's a good excuse! LOL! But that's what happened, and I'm really sorry! Because I feel so bad, I'm going to post this chapter as well as the next one, being as I already have it ready to go! I hope this makes up for the long wait I've put you all through! And I hope you guys like these next two chapters!

The car ride there was uncomfortably quiet as they drove to the old train station that was now both Andy's and Dr. Abbott's office. Ephram hoped Amy's dad wasn't there yet, or at least, he hoped Dr. Abbott didn't spot them and ask questions. The last thing he needed was for Amy to hear about it from her father. He still wasn't sure how he was going to tell Amy about this.

Ephram's gaze remained focused out the window where it seemed like an ordinary day. He wished he was one of those people outside, going about their normal routine and not on his way to get a paternity test to find out whether or not he was now an eighteen year old father.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked, glancing over at Ephram, who remained silent in the passenger seat.

"I'm on my way to take a paternity test to find out if the baby currently in the back seat is mine. What do you think?" he asked. "I-I mean, what am I going to do about Julliard if the tests say he's mine?"

Andy had thought about that already. What would it do to Ephram's future if this child was his? "I think that until we do this test, and get the results in, we shouldn't make any decisions on things like that."

"Easy for you to say," Ephram said. "Your not the man in question here." His gaze returned to outside the window.

"Ephram, if it turns out this child is in fact, yours, all our lives are going to change; not just yours. And until we find out for sure, nothing's concrete here." He paused as he looked over at Ephram, who he could tell was very worried and on edge. "But I want you to know something; If you did father this child, I'll be there for you. If you should decide to keep the baby, I'll help you out financially and any other way you need." He turned a corner. "And should you choose to put him up for adoption, I'll be there for you all the same."

Ephram gave him a strained smile as they pulled up to the doctor's office. "Thanks." The two got out of the car; Andy got the baby out of the back of the car, and the two headed inside.

"Heya Doc; Ephram," Edna Harper, Andy's nurse and Amy's grandmother said, sounding fairly upbeat. _Oh no, _Ephram thought. That was the bad part about having your girlfriend's family working with your father. Edna looked down and noticed the baby in the car seat Andy carried inside with him.

"Who's baby is-"

"Not now. In my office," Andy said nodding in the direction of his office. He didn't want to stand out in the lobby, carrying his possibly grandson for the entire town to see. He wanted to do this in his office; one of the bad things about a small town like Everwood was the gossip circuit. Edna nodded and followed Andy and Ephram into his office, even though she was now very confused.

"Where's the paternity test kit I asked about over the phone?" he asked as he set the carrier down on his desk.

Edna looked from Andy to Ephram. "Now wait just a sec here. What's going on?"

Andy turned back around. "This morning, we found this baby on our front porch. Along with a diaper bag filled with baby things was a note."

"That's terrible! Who would do such a thing; leave a poor baby on someone's porch," Edna said angrily.

"The note was written by Madison," he said. "Apparently the baby could either have been father by Ephram or an ex boyfriend of hers." He glanced over at Ephram, still unable to believe what was going on.

Edna's gaze found Ephram as well, who's gaze was to the floor, suddenly feeling sorry for the teenager. She looked back at Andy. "I can't believe this! You mean you didn't hear a hide nor hair from her until-"

"Until I found the baby on the porch," Ephram finished, his hands in his pocket. He looked over at the baby, who was kicking his feet once more and again, quickly averted his gaze from him.

"Edna? The kit?" Andy asked, wanting to get the test done as soon as possible so he could get it to the lab.

"I'll go get it," she said, before disappearing back out the door. The two weren't left alone very long; Edna came back with the paternity testing kit a few moments later.

"So uh, what exactly do I have to do?" Ephram asked.

"Well we could do it by taking a cheek swab from the both of you, but I think I want to submit a blood sample." Andy produced a needle as he set everything up that he needed for this.

Uneasily, Ephram said, "Okay." For as long as he could remember, he hated needles. When he was little, he had so sit in his mother's lap; as he got older, his fear of needles decreased some, but he still preferred someone in the room with him.

Ten minutes later, Andy was finished drawing blood from both Ephram and the baby, and was more than ready to return back home to plot his next move with all of this. Edna promised to send the samples out to the lab that day, and made sure to put a rush on it -although that didn't guarantee faster results.

Ephram stopped on his way out the door, turning towards Edna. "I... Amy has no idea about this," he began. "I-I don't want to hurt her. So…until we know for sure…"

Edna nodded, understanding what Ephram meant and more importantly, where he was coming from. "I won't say anything."

Ephram forced a smile onto his face. "Thank you." Edna nodded once more and with that, Ephram exited the building.

In the car, Ephram sat, staring once more out the window. He wasn't exactly up for making small talk with his father; not while a baby that could be his sat in the back, making cooing noises every few moments.

"We should get the results in within the next two weeks or so. Assuming they aren't backed up at he laps," Andy explained as he kept his eyes on the road.

"So what are we going to do until then?" he asked.

Andy paused before answering. "Until we find out the paternity of the baby, there's nothing we can do besides take care of him. I'm needed at the office, so when I can't watch him, your going to have to take care of him-"

"But-"

"No buts, Ephram. Whether you like it or not, he may in fact be your son. If he is, you gotta learn how to take care of him." He turned a corner. "That is, of coarse, if you plan on keeping him." He looked over at Ephram, meeting his son's gaze. Before Ephram could respond, his cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket and retrieved it, reading the ID. It was Amy calling. He sighed, shutting his phone off and putting it back in his pocket, not able to talk to her just yet. He glanced over at his father as they pulled up in front of their house before getting out and heading in.


	7. Chapter 6

Four hours had gone by since Ephram had been hit with the news of the possibility that he might have fathered a child; since then, he had sat upstairs in his bedroom, the music turned up as he lay in his bed, deep in thought.

He looked over at his right arm, where his father had drawn blood from his body a few hours ago. Until the results of the DNA test came back, he had no idea if his life would now be change forever. He cursed Madison for what she did. For not telling him she was pregnant. For leaving Everwood. For cheating on him with Jay. For putting him in the situation he was in now. He felt sick just thinking about it all. But most of all, he felt scared and confused about the idea of being in charge of another life; a life that was, right now, downstairs being taken care of by his father.

What if he tried and simply wasn't able to take care of him and provide for him the way he should? What if he does something wrong and ruins this tiny person's life forever? Not only that but he and Amy were going to college in New York together in another two months. What would happen to all the plans he had made for the future if this child turned out to be his? Too many question with not enough answers circled his brain, exhausting him both physically and emotionally.

- - - - -

Downstairs, Andy sat in the living room, rocking the baby to sleep. He looked down at the child's face, studying his tiny features, trying to see any of Ephram's features, half afraid to find a resemblance. It had been four hours since the baby was found on their porch, but it felt so much longer than that.

As soon as they had gotten back from the office, Ephram had gone straight up to his room where he still remained, the music turned way up. He could only imagine what his son was going through right now with the current situation at hand, but the past three years had taught him to give Ephram space in times like these.

He looked back down at the baby, who's eyelids were slowly closing as he finished the last of his bottle. Luckily Madison had included a few already made bottles in the diaper bag; he hadn't made it out to the store yet to begin hunting for the baby things he'd be needing.

"It's been quite a day so far, hasn't it?" he asked the baby in a soft voice, careful not to disturb him from his slow departure to dream land. If it turned out he was Ephram's son, his grandson, there were going to be a lot of changes taking place -assuming Ephram chose to raise him. He didn't even want to think about that right now. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back in the rocker, unable to believe it was a little past noon.

Just then, he heard the back door open and expected to hear Delia call out his name. Instead, his neighbor and best friend, Nina, called out his name as she closed the back door behind her. Andy quickly got up from the rocking chair, careful not to disturb the baby too much as he shifted him slightly in his arms before heading to the kitchen.

"Shhhh," he said softly, his body swaying back in fourth ever so softly as he held the baby securely in his arms. Nina stopped in her tracks and simply looked at the baby in Andy's arms unsure of what to say. Surprise and awe were the first things that came to mind as she looked down at the tiny baby who had finally drifted off to sleep.

"Wow, Delia wasn't kidding, was she?" she whispered, looking back up at Andy as she spoke, then back down to the baby. He smiled, glad Nina was there; he needed someone to talk to about this.

"I'm just going to put him down," Andy whispered. He turned and walked over to the table and set the baby inside the carrier. The baby stirred for a moment, then settled in the seat. Andy smile down at him, rubbing his tiny fist.

"Looks like you're a natural," Nina whispered from behind him. He turned around and smiled at her.

"Considering I wasn't around much while Ephram and Delia were this age," he agreed. Andy then nodded his head in the direction of the living room. Nina nodded in understanding and headed into the living room, Andy following.

"So what the heck is going on, Andy?" Nina asked finally, taking a seat beside Andy on the couch.

"You won't believe me," he told her. "I know I can't."

"Try me," she said.

Andy smiled briefly. "Okay. Ephram found a baby on our front porch this morning. Long story shot, it turns out it was Madison who left him there along with a note explaining the baby is either Ephram's or an ex boyfriend of hers."

Nina's eye widened twice the normal size. "Ohmigosh, Andy, that's…" she trailed off, at a loss for words. She darted a quick glance over Andy's shoulder, in the direction of the kitchen. "Where's Ephram? I mean, how's he taking all this?"

"Do you not hear the angry teenage music slowly drifting downstairs?" he asked, glancing up at the ceiling above them. "I don't know how he feels about all this; he won't really talk to me. But I imagine he's very shocked and very confused."

Nina sat beside Andy stunned. "I'm sorry Andy, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this." She looked up at him, trying to read what was going on inside his head. "I think I need a drink," she said finally.

"I'll second that," Andy said, getting up. "Scotch or Whiskey?" he asked as he held the two bottles up.

"Wow, didn't picture you the type to be packin' the hard stuff."

"I save them mostly for times like this," Andy said with a smile. Nina smiled back, pointing to the drink on the right. Andy poured the two of them their drinks, carefully carrying the glasses back to the couch with him.

"So…what are you guys gonna do if this baby turns out to be Ephrams?" Nina asked, her brain still trying to wrap itself around this situation. "He can't very well take the baby with him to New York this fall and raise him _and_ attend college. That'd be madness."

Andy swallowed down a sip of whisky. "I have no idea what were going to do if this child turns out to be Ephram's." He paused, looking down at his drink. "I don't even know if Ephram intends to _keep_ the baby if the tests say its his." These was all things Andy should be trying to work out in his head, get a back up plan in gear, but he just couldn't bring himself to think about the 'ifs' just yet. The two sat in silence, each lost in separate troubling thoughts.

"You know, this may sound funny, but I almost feel as if this is _my_ fault," Andy admitted.

"Howso?" Nina asked, a puzzled look in her face. "Perhaps if maybe I had given Ephram the talk about birth control, or another talk on sex, or if I had kept a better eye on him and Madison…" he trailed off. "None of this would be happening."

"Andy stop, you can't drive yourself crazy with the 'what ifs,'" Nina placed her free hand on Andy's knee as she spoke to him. "Right now I think you need to focus on being there for Ephram and preparing yourself -and Ephram- for the possibility that this baby is his."

"I know. Your right." He sighed. He still had to figure out what they were going to do come night fall, not to mention the days ahead and how they were going to take care of the baby until the results came in.

He looked up at the ceiling above him, wondering what was going through his son's head; he hadn't said much since they had gotten back from the doctor's office after sending the DNA test out. In fact, he hadn't so much as touched the baby.

He wondered if that was a good sign or bad.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Author's note**: Hi all! Back again with another chapter! Just wanna comment on a message someone sent me about this fic… I'm really sorry for the long wait for Amy finding out about the baby. I will say she won't find out for another few chapters. This long wait is mostly due to the fact that a lot of these chapters will take place in one day, so really it's only been five days, I think, since the baby's come into play. Not bad. But Ephram will tell Amy, I promise J Again thanks for the reviews! I'll be updating it more often now. Thanks so much for kicking my butt into gear and making sure I update!

Amy sighed as she hung up the cordless phone and fell onto the couch. She had been trying to get a hold of Ephram all day, but each time she called, she wasn't able to get through; on his cell phone nor the home phone. Granted, they had hung out the night before…

"You know, guys find that annoying," Bright said as he entered the living room, spinning a bright orange basketball on his index finger. He had quickly picked up on that trick, back when he and Colin were in middle school and would do nothing but play basketball. "Calling every hour."

Amy rolled her eyes as her brother.

"Then again, this is you and Ephram; the couple who can't stand to be away from one another for more than a day, so maybe I'm wrong." Taking seat in the chair across from her, he grinned. Amy grabbed the nearest pillow in the couch and threw it at him in hopes of knocking the grin off his face.

"Shut up, Bright," Amy said. "Shouldn't you be at your house? Jeez, you pay rent for a place your hardly ever at…" Sometimes Amy found it cool that Bright and Ephram were close friends, but other times, it was a big pain having your brother and boyfriend best guy friends together.

Ignoring Amy's question, Bright said, "He's probably out doing guy things. You know, he can't be your boyfriend twenty-four seven. Besides…" He took another swig from his water bottle."…weren't you guys hanging out last night till late?"

It was true, they had been. So what? "If this is your version of trying to make me feel better, your failing horribly," she informed her, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm just saying…" He sat there for a few more minutes. "Okay, break time's up." He stood up from the chair with the basketball. "Good luck with the annoying girlfriend thing." He headed towards the door. "Oh, but if you do get a hold of Ephram, tell him to come over. I want someone to play ball with and I haven't seen him in a few days." With that, Bright disappeared back outside, leaving Amy alone in the living room.

She glanced over at the phone. Bright was right, as much as she hated to admit it; she was being a typical, annoying girlfriend, spending the day trying to get in touch with her boyfriend. But for some reason, she had a bad feeling that wouldn't go away and she wanted to call him and make sure everything was alright. Not being able to get a hold of him wasn't helping her shake the feeling away, either. Maybe she should just do something to get her mind off of him.

Yeah, that was it. She'd simply try back later.

_He could feel the sun on his back, and the wind softly blowing around him as he played in the field. The soft melodies drifted through the trees, filling his ears with the sound of his own music. Ephram smiled, the feeling of freedom more powerful than ever as he sat playing the piano; as if nothing could touch him. He looked to the side of him to see Amy smiling proudly at him. He looked back down at the black and white keys, mesmerized by the sounds around him. _

_Suddenly the piano began to take another form, a smaller one. Before he knew it, he was holding something small, wrapped in a blanket. He carefully began to unwrap whatever was inside. He gasped when a small baby looked back up at him. The trees then disappeared and everything got quiet around him. Just then, the baby opened his little mouth and began to cry. _

"_I can't believe you did this," Amy said appearing beside him, her tone filled with anger and hurt, as did her eyes._

"_I'm sorry, Amy. I -1 didn't know!" he said as he got up and faced her, the baby still in his arms. _

" _I can't be with you now, Ephram. Goodbye." With that, Amy turned around and walked away from him._

"_No. Amy, wait!" He started after her. Just then, Amy disappeared right in front of him. "Amy!" he called out desperately, looking around for her. Then the baby began crying. Ephram looked down at the baby. _

"_I-I don't know what to do!" he said, to both himself and the baby. He looked around and realized he was all alone._

Suddenly, Ephram sat up from the bed, and looked down, half expecting to be holding the baby. But he wasn't. He sighed in relief, realizing it had just been a dream. No, a nightmare.

He got out of the bed, feeling the need to walk around. His room was the same as it was before he had fallen asleep; the stereo was still even on as loud as he had had it before.

He looked out the window, wondering how long he had slept. He looked over at his clock, which displayed 5:23PM. Wow, he had been asleep for a while. He walked over to his stereo and turned the sound down enough so he could hear the sounds around him. Where was his dad? He walked over to his bedroom door and opened it, then disappeared downstairs to see where everyone was.

Ephram slowly climbed down the stairs as he rubbed his eyes. While as the nap did him some good, he now probably wouldn't be able to get to sleep tonight. _Great, _he thought. Once he reached the bottom steps, he could hear Delia giggling and Andy mumbling something he couldn't hear. Curious, Ephram followed the sound to the living room where Andy and Delia sat on the couch, their attention solely focused on the small baby on Andy's lap. He stood there in the doorway and watched as Andy made funny faces at the baby, who would respond by kicking his feet up. He couldn't help but wonder if this would be a common sight in another few months.

"Ephram. I didn't hear you come downstairs," Andy said, having noticed Ephram standing there, watching them. "Come sit down with us. We were just trying different things to make the baby laugh." Ephram entered the living room, but instead of sitting beside them on the couch, he decided to sit in the chair beside the couch.

"I didn't know they could laugh this young," he admitted.

"Sure. There are lots of things they can do this early," Andy said. Of coarse he'd know, he was a doctor. Ephram on the other hand, who's only experience was with Delia, had no idea anything about babies. "They can sit up if you prop them up, and they can grasp objects; they can even roll over at this age."

"Isn't he cute, Ephram?" Delia said, smiling, looking at Ephram before quickly returning her attention to the baby.

"Uh…yeah." Truthfully, since he had found the baby on the porch that morning, he hadn't looked at him for more than a few seconds. He was afraid he's find a resemblance in the baby's little features; he wasn't sure he could handle that.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room all of a sudden. A silence that went unnoticed by Delia, who's attention was on the baby. But Ephram felt it, and as he looked over at his father, he knew Andy could feel it too.

Once more his attention shifted to the baby.

"Would you like to hold him?" Andy asked, noticing Ephram's attention had gone to the baby as well. Ephram quickly looked up at his father.

"I-"

"C'mon, Ephram. It's fun!" Delia said. He looked back over at the baby. A part of him wanted to get close to him, to touch him, to hold him, to take care of him as he should since it was he who could have fathered this child, not Andy; the other part was scared to death to so much as touch the baby.

He opened his mouth to try and answer when suddenly the phone rang. "I'll get that," he said, quickly getting up from the chair to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Thank god! I'm so glad I finally got a hold of you!" Amy said, relief filling her voice. Ephram suddenly felt guilty for turning off his cell phone in the car; he still had no idea what to say to Amy, and after the dream he had had earlier, he was almost afraid to tell her. He could just picture it now: 'Hey Amy. I may or may not have a six month old son with Madison; right now were waiting for the DNA test to come in. Wanna go to the movies?'

"Ephram?" she asked, bringing his attention back from wandering to his troubled thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here," he assured her. "Sorry. I was in and out all day and my cell phone died, so I left it in my room to charge," he lied. He hated lying to Amy. Not only did he hate it, but the rare times that he did, she always ended up finding out, getting him into trouble.

"That's cool, it wasn't important, although Bright did mention wanting to kick your butt in basketball earlier…."

Ephram laughed for the first time that day. "Yeah, in his dreams." The two fell silent on the phone and in that silence, he could hear the baby making gurgling noises from the other room.

"Ephram, is everything okay?" Amy asked finally. "Your acting… off. Like something's wrong." Of coarse she could tell something was wrong with him. What the heck was he doing, keeping this from Amy? He tried to play out the different scenarios in his head, of what it'd be like telling her about the baby. She would be crushed, that much he knew. But would she leave him? Could their relationship survive this? He honestly couldn't say.

"I just have a lot going on right now," he said, not wanting to tell her quite yet. If she was going to leave him, he wanted to prolong it a bit longer. Besides, he still wasn't sure how he felt about it, what's the sense dragging Amy into this mess right off?

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Um… okay? Call me later, I guess…" Feeling a pang of guilt, Ephram hung up wishing he had the courage to tell Amy.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Author's Note:** Here's the next chapter. Thanks everyone for still keeping up with this fic, and reminding me when too much time has passed between updates! Let me know what you think, suggestions are always welcome!

The following day, Andy decided to take the next two days off in order to stay home with the baby, not wanting to shove the baby at Ephram right off, and risk him totally backing away from it all. After those two days off, he was planning on going back to work, leaving Ephram to take care of the baby. By then he hoped Ephram would want to try and take care of him.

He had grabbed Delia after breakfast and after calling Nina, asking her to come over and watch the baby, the two of them went in early to the store, hoping they'd sidestep a lot of people bound to go there later in the day to shop as well. Madison had packed a few things for the baby, but he was certain they wouldn't last long.

"So who's baby is this, anyways?" Delia asked, walking alongside the cart as they slowly walked through the isles in search of the items Andy was sure they'd need for the coming days.

"Well sweetheart, were not sure yet," he said simply, not sure of what to tell her just yet. It wasn't fair to keep secrets from her when he and Ephram knew; since moving to Everwood he had wanted to keep an open relationship with both of his kids, minimizing secrets all ways around. But this time, he was sure he could make an exception.

"I don't get it. Why did someone leave him at our house?" They continued walking. "Maybe we know his parents!" Delia said, the idea striking her.

"I don't know," Andy said, wanting to steer his daughter off the topic. "I think we need some-"

"And… how long is he going to be staying with us, anyways?" she asked.

"Look, Delia," Andy stopped the cart. "I know it's a little confusing and a bit awkward at the house right now," he said, his voice soft and patient, "but there's not much I can tell you. I have just as many questions as I'm sure you have. Until we know more answers, the baby is going to stay with us, and we're going to take care of him. Is that okay?"

Delia stood there for a minute. "I can help take care of him, right?"

Andy smiled in relief. "Sure sweetheart."

Delia smiled. "Sweet!" Her attention then turned to the different brands of diapers surrounding them back and front. "So which ones should we get?"

Andy's gaze traveled past over a dozen brands, feeling out of his league in this already. "Good question."

Back at the Brown house, Ephram sat in front of the piano, playing away on it. Somewhere along the line, playing the piano had turned into an activity he did to help calm him, whether he was stressed about school, his dad, or even if he and Amy were fighting.

His fingers danced along the white and black keys, producing a heavenly sound all around him. For as long as he could remember, he had always played very well on the keyboard; it was simply something that came to him naturally. His mother had encouraged it early on, never afraid to compliment him and being right there at his side. Even now, he could almost feel her sitting beside him.

He lost concentration and missed a note, causing him to stop playing. When it came to the piano, he was a perfectionist. Even messing up on the tiniest note bugged him to no end, causing him to start the piece over from the beginning. Music had always been a constant certainty in his life; something he knew would always be there no matter what. Now he sat there, pushing himself to stay focused on the notes displayed on the page on front of him and not on the issue at hand.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, there was a possibility that he and Madison had created a child. A child that now depended on him for survival. Madison had given birth to him and she still couldn't manage to care for him; what made her think he knew any what to do than she did? He angrily pushed down on the keys as his mind continued wandering away from the music. He had woken up that morning, climbed downstairs, careful to avoid his father and the baby, and headed to where he was now, feeling as if that was the only safe place at the moment. He stopped playing, giving up on trying to keep the troubling thoughts at bay and focus on playing.

Swinging his long legs around to the other side of the piano bench, Ephram sat there, gazing around the room. This was his life. No traces of babies or anything like that in sight. His family, Amy and the piano. He could barely manage his own life without screwing up a good thousand times a day; how in the world would he be able to make decisions for another life? He had never really pictured having children; being a father. It just seemed so far off into the future. Not it seemed like the future had jumped the gun and was now right there in front of him.

He heard the door inside shut, letting him know his father was back with Delia and the baby. They had left right after breakfast; Andy had explained he needed to go pick up some things for the baby. He had even invited Ephram. But he had turned down the offer, wanting nothing more than to play his heart out on the piano. To escape from reality for even just a little while, where there was no baby that could be his, no worries, nothing. Just the music.

He turned back around and began playing once more, feeling the need to start up again. He had no one to talk to- to vent to- about any of this, accept his father; playing the piano right then felt like he was getting some of it off of his chest. As if he was confiding in a close friend of his.

He closed his eyes, letting his fingers guide themselves across the keyboard as he let himself be lost on the music. Maybe, just maybe, if he stayed like that, the problems facing him inside the house would simply disappear…

A little while later, Ephram's empty stomach had protested to the max, forcing Ephram back inside in search of something to eat for breakfast. He took one last look around his studio, feeling a sense of loss. Sighing, Ephram shut everything off and headed inside.

He was surprised when he walked through the back kitchen door, only to find Nina inside with the baby. Funny, he had forgotten she had been there. His father had poked him head into the garage and told him before leaving, but he hadn't been paying much attention.

"Hey Ephram," Nina said, a smile on her face, looking up from the baby.

"Hey," he said back. "My dad and Delia aren't back yet?" he asked, making sure he stood far enough away from the baby.

Nina shook her head. "They should be back anytime though. Why you need something?"

"No, that's okay. I was just wondering," he explained. The room fell silent, except for the happy noises the baby was making each time Nina tickled his belly or made a silly face at him. Ephram simply stood there, feeling a bit awkward.

"He's a great baby. Very happy," she commented, looking up at Ephram.

"I guess. I mean, I haven't really played with him or anything like that…." he trailed off, feeling ashamed for just about ignoring the baby, pretending he didn't exist.

"Ephram," Nina said, her voice soothing and comforting in a motherly way. "Your father explained to me what's going on. I am so sorry that you have to go through this. I can't even imagine what it must be like." She shifted the baby closer to her body so that he wouldn't squirm out of her hands as she spoke to Ephram. "And… I know your father will be there for you no matter what happens, and no matter what you decide, but I want you to know that I'm here for you too." She paused; their gazes locked. "I know I'm not your mother, but I still care a great deal for you, your sister and your father. I just wanted you to know that if you ever need anything, I'm just next door. I want you to remember that, okay?"

Ephram looked down, then back up at her, unsure of what to say or do. True, she wasn't his mother, but she had done her best to help care for their family since he day they had moved there; she had become a great friend to his father, and almost like a surrogate mother to both himself and Delia.

"Okay. Ah, thanks Nina," he said truly meaning it. "And not just for saying that, but for everything." Nina smiled at him and Ephram returned the smile.

"Well I-I'm going to go search in the kitchen for something to eat. You want something?" he asked.

Nina shook her head. "No thanks."

"Okay." He looked over at Nina, his gaze quickly shifting down to the baby, then back up at her before disappearing into the kitchen to begin his search for something to eat.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Author's Note:** here's the next chapter! Good news is that 1) new chapter, yay! And 2) I finally know and have actually started writing when Amy finds out. Bad news is that that doesn't take place in this chapter. Sorry, there is still a wait. Chapters 9-12 all take place in the same day, if this helps. I will try and get chapters out quicker, although there is usually a delay because if I caught up with where I am actually at writing (I just started writing chapter 14) I would get into my writing blocks and it would take heaps longer before new chapters would come out.

The next two days passed quickly, although the Brown house still remained the center for tension and awkward silences. Ephram went out of his way to avoid being in the same room as the baby, at least for too long of periods as Andy continued to care for the baby.

Then one morning, Ephram awoke to the sound of a screaming baby. A sound he never thought he'd wake up to again after Delia hit the age of three and it was safe to say she had, for the most part, outgrown that awful habit. The night before, Andy volunteered to put the baby in his room with him, saying he wanted to make sure he would be alright his first night in a strange place. Ephram hadn't argued. It had been three days since his world was shaken, yet he still hadn't grasped it. Not really. He had thought it was all a bad dream….

Until the crying began. Then he was reminded all over again, what had been delivered only a few days before…

He could tell by the amount of light coming from the window that it was very early in the morning, although he could hear his father getting up to take care of the baby. Knowing someone was tending to the baby, Ephram buried his head under the pillows and drifted back to sleep.

A few hours later -although it felt like it had only been twenty minutes- Ephram felt some thing-or someone- shaking his shoulder. As he eased out of sleep, Ephram began to feel annoyed with the shaking and batted the hand away.

"Ephram, wake up," a voice said, softly but firmly. Ephram opened his eyes; as his blurred vision straightened, he realized his father had been the one shaking him awake.

"What?" he asked with his sleep laced voice.

"I gotta go to work today," Andy said.

"Great. Don't let the door hit you when you leave," he said, wanting to get back to sleep. He had almost two months of summer left before college classes began; he had every intention of taking advantage of sleeping in until then.

"I need you to get up so you can keep an eye on your sister and watch the baby."

Ephram quickly sat up, feeling fully awaken now. "What?"

"You heard me. I need for you go get up and go downstairs, and watch your sister and the baby." Not giving him a chance to argue, Andy smiled and headed out the door.

"Wait a second!" he said, jumping out of bed and following his father out of his room wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. "What if something happens? What if the baby cries?" he asked as the two climbed down the stairs.

"Well then I would advise you to first check his diaper, then go from there." He grabbed his keys. "If a real emergency should arise, you can always call me at work, or call Nina; she's home today." He turned his attention away from Ephram as he stood at the front door. "Delia honey, Ephram's awake. I'm headed off to work. Be good, and I'll see you later!"

"Bye dad!" Delia called back from the other room.

"But-"

"Ephram, you can handle this. What if this child turns out to be yours? Your going to have to interact with him sooner or later. Now you have Delia here to help you out, and as I said, you can always call me at work or give Nina a call if you have a problem." He took a step out the door then stopped. "Oh, I fed him a few minutes ago; he should be good for a few hours. Delia knows how to do all that." He smiled at Ephram. "Good luck and have a good day."

Before Ephram could say another word, Andy disappeared out the door, leaving Ephram standing there in his boxers and a tee.

"Ephram, you might want to come in here! I think he pooped!"

Ephram threw his head back and groaned, wishing more than ever, that his father would have stayed home instead of going to work.

A few hours later, Ephram sat on the couch, now fully dressed, as the baby sat in the carrier beside him. Aside from a false dirty-diaper alarm, the morning had been fairly easy going.

"What do you think his name is?" Delia asked Ephram curiously, looking up at him. Again, something he should know, a voice said inside his head. He pushed the voice away.

"Uh.. I don't know," he said honestly. Did Madison even bother to give him a name? He sat there, wondering what kid of a mother Madison had been before deciding to give up and leave the baby on his porch.

"Maybe we should give him a name," Delia suggested. "It must suck not having a name."

"Stink," Ephram corrected, knowing Delia wasn't allowed to say those kinds of words, even though he said them on a daily basis. "And I don't know if it's a good idea to give him a name just yet."

"Why not? Dad said that he's going to be staying with us for a week or two. We should think of something else to call him besides 'the baby'."

Ephram sat there, unsure of how to explain this all to Delia. Would she even understand if he told her the truth; that the baby might be his, making him her nephew? How much had their father told her about why the baby was there?

"Delia… what else did dad say to you… about the baby, I mean?" He decided to ask, just to be on the safe side. Maybe Andy had already explained all he wanted Delia to know.

"He just said that until we find the baby's dad, we're going to take care of him." So Andy didn't say anything about how Ephram might be the father. "But I still I don't understand why his mom left him with us, even though Dad tried to explain it to me the other day in he store. Why didn't she just bring him to his dad?"

Ephram felt as if he had a spotlight shining directly on him. "I uh, I-I don't know." He looked around the living room for something. Anything to get Delia off this topic.

"Why don't you put in a movie?" Ephram suggested. He felt a calming sense of relief when Delia took the bate and got up to pick out a movie. As Delia turn on the VCR and put the movie in, Ephram looked down at the baby, who was busy gumming one of the toys Ephram had found in his diaper bag.

"That toy taste good?" he asked him. "It must, seeing as how your busy chewing on it." The baby looked up at him, still chewing on the toy, which was now covered in drool.

"Maybe he's hungry," Delia said as she sat back down on the couch, beside the baby.

"He can't be. Dad fed him something not more than two hours ago."

"Sometimes I get hungry two hours after I ate something," she challenged.

"Yeah, well he's a baby, Delia. His stomach is like the size of an orange." Delia shrugged and returned her attention to the baby as the movie began playing on the TV. Ephram scooted on the couch, getting comfortable as the movie began, feeling more thankful for movies than before.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Author's Note:**Hi everyone! Remember me? Heh. Long time no see! As I mentioned on my profile page or whatever it's called, I've decided to finally finish the four fics I have up here that I never finished. Yes, I know, four years later. Better late than never though, right? Thankfully, I had some previously written and never posted chapters on an old CDRW, so that saves some time! My goal is to finish this fic, and the other three, soon. I'm going to try very hard to do this while not making the fics seemed rushed and poorly thrown together at the end. Anyways, biggest apologies. I'm working on it. Here's the long awaited next chapter!

"So what's he eat, anyways?" Ephram asked a few hours later, once lunch time arrived. It had been a while since Delia was that age, and even then, Ephram was too young to have actually fed her himself. The baby sat in the seat, which was now on the table top as Ephram prepared to whip up lunch for them all.

"I don't know. Dad gave him cereal this morning," Delia answered, in between playing peek-a-boo. "Ephram, can I take him out of his seat? He's been in it all morning."

"Not right now, he's getting ready to eat." Ephram looked in the cupboards above the counter. "So when you say cereal…I'm guessing you don't mean Cocoa Puffs, right?"

"Unless you want him to choke," Delia said, making Ephram feel even more clueless. Great, his little sister, who hardly had any experience with babies up until now, knew more about the present topic than he did. "There are little jars of food in the fridge that are his to eat."

"Okay, little jars…" He opened the fridge where sure enough, a few jars of assorted baby food sat in the door. "Okay, there's carrots, green beans and.. Meatloaf? Gross.." He pulled two jars out. "Guess this is going to be your lunch, little guy. Sorry." He cringed at the though of meatloaf in the texture of applesauce. He read the back of the jars, hoping to get a better idea of what to do.

A few minutes later, Ephram was sitting at the table, the baby in front of him, along with the jars of baby food and a towel on hand, just in case. Delia sat at the table as well, busy eating the macaroni and cheese Ephram had quickly whipped up for the two of them.

"You should feel very honored; your basically the first baby I've ever fed," Ephram said to the baby as he opened the jars of baby food. Ephram took the small spoon he was able to find, that was now filled with Gerber carrots. "Here goes," he said as he brought the spoon to the baby's mouth. The baby's mouth opened for Ephram and most of the spoon disappeared into his little mouth. Ephram smiled as the baby began getting excited, kicking his feet and flailing his arms.

"It's that good, huh?" He put the jar of carrots down and picked up the one that contained the mutilated looking meatloaf. "Try some of this and tell me what you think." Again, he dipped the spoon in the jar and brought it to the baby's lips. And again the baby happily ate it.

"Huh. Didn't think mashed up meatloaf out of a jar could taste that good." He fed the baby another bite of it. "Either it looks worse than it tastes or your one strange baby." Ephram continued to feed the baby, alternating between the three flavors of food. Before he knew it, the task of feeding the baby was finished.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" He got up and tossed the spoon in the sink, then came back to the table and capped the baby food jars.

"And I think the both of us came out of this unharmed, so there's a plus." He scooped up the baby jars and put them back in the door of the fridge, then headed over to the sink to get a wash cloth so he could begin cleaning up.

"You know, I thought babies were supposed to be messy when they ate… but you, your not half bad." Ephram walked back over to the baby just as the phone rang.

"I got it!" Delia announced as she quickly got up and raced over to the phone before Ephram could say a word. "Hello?"

"Good; we just ate lunch."

"Who's that?" Ephram asked curiously, looking up from cleaning the baby's hands and face of the baby food he managed to get on himself.

"He's cleaning up the mess he and the baby made at lunch," she reported. Now Ephram was very curious as to who it was on the phone. Was it Bright? Amy? His dad? Oh no, what if it was Bright or Amy? He hadn't told either of them yet-

"Delia, who is it?" He threw the now dirty rag into the sink, before walking over to Delia.

She handed Ephram the phone. "Dad wants to talk to you." After handing him the phone, she skipped back over to the table.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful it hadn't been Bright or Amy. "Hello?"

"Ephram. Hey, how's it going?" His father's upbeat voice asked from the other end.

"So nice of you to check up on me. Especially after the vanishing trick you performed this morning."

"Sorry about that. Next time I'll give you a little more time," he said.

"How considerate of you," Ephram said.

"Well I told Delia I'd call around noon; see how everything was going," he explained, "And I knew around now, you guys would either be eating lunch or just finishing up, so I thought now would be a good time to call."

"Yeah, we uh, just finished lunch."

"So how's the baby been?" Andy asked. Ephram positioned the phone between his head and his shoulder, glancing over in the direction the baby sat, busy making noises.

"He's been fine," Ephram answered simply.

"And lunch? How was that? I know he ate a good amount when I fed him this morning before work."

"Yeah, he ate fine," Ephram said. "Delia's been playing with him most of the morning, so they've both sort of entertained one another."

"I'm surprised she isn't already at Nina's, playing with Sam," Andy said.

"I know, me too." There was a pause. "So... Have you heard back from the lab yet by any chance?" he asked, lowering his voice so Delia couldn't hear.

"Not yet. We probably wont hear anything from them-"

"-For another two weeks. I know."

"Hang in there," Andy said sincerely. "I'll be home in a bit." Ephram nodded and hung up the phone. Even though Andy had already hung up, Ephram stared down at the handset for a few moments.

"Ephram, can I play with the baby over at Nina's?"

"Huh?" Ephram looked up from his trace. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard Delia at first. "Oh, um, that's probably not a good idea." Hanging up the phone, Ephram walked back over to the table.

"Well at least get him out of the seat; he's been in it all day!" It was true, Ephram hadn't dared to take the baby out of his seat, afraid that he'd drop him, or do something to make him start crying.

"We can put a blanket down in the living room. That way there he can crawl around for a while. Please Ephram!" Delia put her bottom lip out, faking a pout.

Ephram weighed his options. He couldn't very well keep the baby in that thing all day. "Yeah, I guess."

"Yay!" She exclaimed. "I'll go get a blanket from the closet!" She got up and ran out of the kitchen. Ephram shook his head and smiled at his sister's joy in something so simple. She was really enjoying the time she was spending with the baby.

"So I guess right now your going to go do some crawling around on the floor for a bit. How does that sound?" Ephram asked the baby, who as usual, didn't respond. "Okay then, let's get going." He unlocked the handle from the side of the carrier and headed into the living room.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Author's Note:** Throwing another chapter into the ring. I'm on a roll, how cool! Again, a big time apology for keeping you guys hanging for so long! Had I been one of you, I'd have beaten my butt a long time ago!

An hour or so later, the Brown household went from a nice, semi-quiet sound to the distinct sound of a very unhappy baby expressing his unhappiness in the only way babies knew how. The baby had been crying now for a good twenty minutes or so; enough to make Ephram's eardrums ring. The baby had been playing on the floor with his toys when suddenly he began crying. Ephram held the baby and walked around the living room, in hopes to quiet him.

"Shhh. Hey, what's the matter, little guy?" he asked, looking down at the baby. Ephram looked over at Delia, who was sitting with her hands over her ears. Ephram was quickly searching his brain for something that would make the baby stop crying. _Think Ephram, think! Anything!_

"H-Here, want your toy thingy?" He carefully bent down and grabbed the stuffed toy that resembled a frog, only with a rattle attached, and shook it. The baby looked up at Ephram and continued to cry.

"That's a no." He threw the toy over his shoulder. "What about your pacifier? Huh? Want that?" He walked over to the diaper bag and grabbed the pacifier out of one of the side compartments. He put the pacifier in the baby's mouth, quieting him for a half a second, before the baby began crying once more.

"Delia!" Ephram said, walking back into the living room. "Can you check in his bag and see if there's anything in there that might make him stop?"

Delia stood up from the couch, hands still covering her ears. "I don't think there's anything that could do that."

"Can you just check?" Ephram asked, feeling at the end of his rope. How had his own mother done it without going mad was beyond him.

"Okay okay!" Delia said, walking over to the side of the couch. She knelt down and quickly searched the inside of the bag. A few moments later she stood up empty handed.

"Nothing!"

Ephram groaned. There had to be something he was doing wrong. If only he could figure out what it was.. "Shhh. It's okay," he said, trying his hardest to use soft and soothing tones. He began to walk around the living room, making detours to the kitchen every so often, softly and carefully rocking the baby in his arms. Maybe he should have babysat every so often…maybe he should have paid a little more attention to babies… maybe he should never have slept with Madison.

"Should I go get Nina?" Delia asked.

"No!" Ephram said quickly. "I can do this." _Yeah, sure you can. That's why he's screaming like he's being tortured. _Just then he realized the baby's crying had died down to where he could at least hear himself think.

Delia's eyes widened. "He's-"

"Shh. I know," Ephram said softly. He continued to rock the now whimpering baby and before he knew it, the baby had fallen asleep in his arms. He knew the baby had fallen asleep by the feel of the baby's calmed breathing and how the house was back to being quiet.

"Now where do I put him?" he said to himself in a whisper. He could put him back in his seat, but he didn't want to keep him in there all the time. He couldn't lay him down in his bed in case something happened, his room was all the way upstairs, plus he didn't want the baby to roll off the bed… Then he thought of something.

"Can you go get some pillows off my bed so I can lay him down on the floor?" he asked his sister, not wanting to disturb the baby. He wouldn't be able to take another hour of crying.

"Okay. Be right back." She tossed the remote to the other side of the couch and headed upstairs. Ephram carefully looked down at the sleeping baby, taking in the sweet baby smells. Could he really be his? Would he have to do this all the time for now on? He wasn't sure how he felt about that just yet.

"Here ya go," Delia said, returning to the living room with two pillows in tow.

"Just put them down right there. Make sure thy are close to one another." Delia did as instructed, putting the pillows down on the floor in a way so that it was like a little bed- or at least gave the floor a little padding. Unsure of how to hold the baby and set him down without dropping him, Ephram stood there a moment, trying to think of the best day of laying him down.. Finally he bent down and carefully placed the baby down on the pillows. He didn't realize he had been holding his breath until he took in a deep breath as he stood back up.

"You did it!" Delia said, careful not to wake up the baby.

Ephram smiled, feeling proud of himself. For someone who had never really spent time around babies, he wasn't doing half bad… "Why don't we go in the other room or something?" he suggested, not wanting to wake the baby up and undo the hard work he had just done.

"Good idea." The two smiled at one another before heading out of the room.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Author's Note:**Hi again! Here's another chapter for you guys! It'd only one, but hey, it's a pretty big chapter (4 pages!) Enjoy! Don't be afraid to leave feedback ;)

The sound of the front door opening a little while later shifted instantly drew Ephram's attention away from the television over to the front door. The rest of the afternoon had gone much better than before. In fact, the baby hadn't been up for very long when Andy finally returned home. After Ephram had changed his diaper, and changed his shirt, which had spit up on it, he had sat down on the couch with Delia, and the baby on his lap, having quiet time.

"Ephram? Delia?"

"In the living room," Ephram said, looking over his shoulder. With a proud smile on his face, Ephram sat there and waited for his father to come in and see what kind of a job Ephram had done.

"Hi dad," Delia said.

"Hi honey. Wow, I was expecting an entirely different scenario than this," he admitted, looking around at the scene in front of him. "I even braced myself for the worst as I walked up the front steps."

"Fooled ya, huh," Ephram said. Andy looked down at Ephram, taking in the sight of his son and the baby. Already he noticed a change in Ephram's body language; he seemed less nervous and more at ease with the baby.

"How was everyone's day?" All day, he fought the urge to pick up the phone and find out what was going on. He had almost regretted going back to work, worrying all day what was going on at home. A few times Edna had given him a pep talk.

Ephram glanced over at Delia, who at the same time, looked up from the baby to Ephram As if both silently agreeing, Ephram shrugged and said, "It was okay. Learned different stuff."

"Good." Andy stood there, unsure of what to say next. He really had prepared himself for a disaster once he got home.

"Well I hate to break away from this stimulating conversation," Ephram said as he shifted the baby in his arms before carefully getting up. "But I got a few things to do, so…." He walked over to his father. "Tag. Your it," he said as he carefully placed the baby in Andy's arms. His gaze lingered for a few extra seconds on the baby before continuing on his way out of the room.

Ephram stood in the middle of his room, and simply gazed around at everything. In some weird way, he felt like he was starting at a past life of his. A past life that included piano, comics, school, Amy… Part of him wanted to start crying while the other part willed him to remain strong. No sense getting upset now, not while they weren't certain of anything accept that an innocent baby was left in their doorstep and fully depended on them. On him.

His gaze fell to his cell phone, which was sitting on his end table being charged. As he walked over to the side of his bed he wondered who had called him while he was busy downstairs all day, taking care of the baby. Had Amy or Bright called? The other night when Amy had called, he had all but hung up on her. Thinking about it made him feel worse than he was feeling already.

The sound of the baby crying downstairs brought him back from his thoughts. He sighed as he tried to make sense of the conflicting emotions inside of him. He had a feeling the sounds of a baby crying would forever haunt him no matter what the DNA test determined.

Suddenly feeling the need to get out of the house, Ephram walked over and grabbed his light jacket from the back of his bedroom door and headed out the door. "I'll be back later!" Ephram announced, even before his foot his the bottom step. He wanted to get it out there quickly before his father could make up an excuse, or even worse, a reason not to go out.

"Ephram, where-" Ephram quickly closed the door behind him before his father could even finish his sentence. Ephram continued on down the steps of their porch, and down the sidewalk hoping his father wouldn't follow him out the door and stop him. He breathed a sigh of relief after a few minutes of walking, realizing he was home free. The evening weather outside was perfect; it wasn't too hot, the stars were starting to come out, and a light breeze was blowing. An evening Ephram would otherwise take full advantage of. But not tonight.

A few minutes later, Ephram reached the main part of the town, where his father's and Dr. Abbott's office was, Mama Joy's diner, the one movie theatre Everwood had, the drug store, and video world were located. Aside from the few other buildings located in downtown Everwood, there wasn't much else to the small town. Ephram continued to walk aimlessly around, passing the stores, hoping he'd find something to do. He should be locking himself in the studio/garage, playing his heart out on the piano. But oddly he wasn't in the mood to play tonight. As he passed the movie theatre, the thought of going in and catching whatever movie was playing entered his mind. He quickly dismissed the thought, knowing he would be unable to focus on much at the moment, much less a movie.

He continued on his way around town,. His mind filled with all sorts of thoughts; most of them revolving around the baby. So much would change if the baby turned out to be his. Not that he wasn't willing to take responsibility for the little guy, should it turn out to be his; he wasn't the type to walk away from his responsibilities. Would this mean he'd have to go to ECC instead of Julliard so that he could be close by to home so he could care for the baby? Who would watch the baby while he was at school? His father was busy as it was with his practice; would he take time off to help Ephram raise his child? And what about Amy, the most important person in his life? Would she understand and stay by his side or will she leave him, unable to bare being around him any longer? Undoubtedly she'd be crushed, that much he already knew. Would this new development be enough to push her away for good?

The thought of not being with Amy shook him more than he'd have thought possible. She was his rock, his northern star. She was home to him. He couldn't picture his life without her. He had lived it once before, he didn't think he could do it again. Ephram lifted up his gaze from the sidewalk just as a familiar face came into view.

Amy's gaze locked with his as she stepped out of the corner store, a paper bag in her hands. She instantly smiled at the sight of Ephram, making his current problems flee his mind, even if just for a moment. He returned her warm smile as he walked over to her.

"Hey there," she said, "I was just thinking about you."

"Me too," he admitted. She smiled up at him once more before shifting the bag to her side then putting her free arm around him. Ephram held back tears as he wrapped his arms around her, taking in the smell and feel that was Amy. No matter what was happening in either of their lives, they both leaned on one another for support; they had done that since he had first moved there and Amy was still grieving for Colin, who was at the time, still lost in a coma.

Amy began to pull back from their hug, leaving Ephram feeling empty instantly. Not wanting their hug to end just yet, he held onto her tighter, attempting to draw strength from their hug. His only wish at that very moment was to be able to remain in her embrace and away from the real world for just a little longer.

"Hey," Amy said softly a few moments later once Ephram let go of his grip on her and their bodies parted some. She had sensed something off about Ephram the past few days, but seeing him face to face, she knew for sure something was up. "Everything okay?" she asked, searching his face for a clue and noticing the sadness in his eyes that he hadn't been quick enough to hide.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ephram said, ignoring every thing in him that screamed for him to tell her what had been going on. If ever there was a time he had needed Amy's support and love, now was most definitely that time. "Just tired," he said, silently cursing himself for spewing out another lie. Amy continued to look up at him, studying his face; looking into his eyes. She knows there's something I'm not telling her, he said to himself. Unable to look her in the face any longer, having just lied to her, Ephram moved his gaze to the sidewalk between them.

Amy nodded, looking away as well knowing something was wrong with him and he wouldn't tell her. She knew he'd tell her when he felt the time was right; when he was ready to, but it still didn't ease the pain. "Okay," she said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Well, I gotta get home; I got ice cream in the bag, so…"

"Right. Right. Yeah, you should probably get that into the freezer," he said quickly.

Amy nodded. "I'll see you later," she said, wishing there was more she cold say to try and make things better for him.

"Yeah," Ephram said simply, not daring to say anything more. He could see the hurt in her eyes, knowing she knew he wasn't being honest. He hated himself for lying to her, hating even more that his lies were causing her pain when she had done nothing to deserve it. Amy nodded and turned around to head back home. Ephram stood there and watched as she began walking away from him.

"A-Amy wait," he said, grabbing her arm. As he watched her begin to walk away, he felt as if he was watching her slip away, a feeling he couldn't let sit in his stomach. Watching Amy walk away was like someone taking the air away from him, he couldn't breath. "I love you," he said, looking deep into her eyes, hoping she understood all that he meant when he said that.

"I love you too," she said back. She forced another smile before turning around and walking away. This time, Ephram stood there without saying a word and watched her leave.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_**Author's Note:**_ _I hat a bit of a writers block, but I think I'm sllooowwwlllllyyy getting past it. I forsee four or less more chapters to go before the end. Yes, Amy is going to find out, I plan on her finding out either in the chapter I'm writing now or deff. By the next one. Enjoy the new chapter!_

By the time four o'clock rolled around, Ephram felt as if he was about to loose it. In fact, he was pretty sure he had already lost it. The past three days had gone smoothly with the exception of the first day, when the baby had had his crying fit. That, however, was nothing compared to what his day had been like. The morning started off as it had every other morning the past few days, Andy had gone to work, leaving Ephram to watch the baby. The baby had been calm. Quiet. He had honestly thought he had gotten the hang of things and would be able to handle whatever else came his way. Boy had he been wrong!

By nine o'clock, the baby had begun fussing. Ephram, having learned a thing or two from the past few days, had tried the things he had found worked to settle the baby down. That worked a little at first. Less than an hour later, the baby's fussing had turned into full out crying.

Ephram walked around the house trying his best to rock him in hopes to quieting him. "Shhhh, it's okay, it's okay," he assured the baby, who looked up at him, his little eyes filled with tears. Ephram sighed, feeling at the end of his rope. He looked around the room, trying to find something that would quiet him. Having had her fill with the baby the past few days, Delia had opted to go to a friends house for the day, leaving Ephram alone to take care of the baby. Now he had wished she had stayed home.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" he asked the baby. His ears were now past the point of ringing, and his head now ached. He switched the baby to the other side, wanting to give his left ear a small break. He walked over to the diaper bag, taking out some weird looking toy that made noises when you squeezed his foot.

"Here, want this?" he asked. The baby grabbed the toy and threw it to the floor, then continued crying. He had already thought to calling Nina for some back up, she was sure to know what was wrong with the baby, but she was at work today, leaving him back at square one.

He sighed, running out of options. He had even tried putting the baby down for a nap earlier; no such luck. He had been too worried that he'd choke from crying so hard or something that he had went back in and picked him up after a half an hour or so.

"You've been normal all week," he said to the baby. He looked up, racking his brain for an idea. Any idea. Sadly his limited knowledge of babies was blocking him from doing this. He had tried a movie earlier, putting one of Delia's old cartoon movies in that she had enjoyed when she was younger; that had quieted him for a good five minutes before he started crying again.

"Please just stop," he begged the baby. Every part of him was on edge, wanting nothing more than to quiet the baby. "I'll do anything!" Usually he kept calm in stressful situations, trying to find a solution. But he had definitely reached his point today. Another hour of this and he'd-

Just then, his father walked through the door. He hadn't even heard the car pull up.

"Thank god your home!" Ephram said quickly walking over to Andy.

"What's the matter? What's wrong with him?" he asked, looking down at the baby as he took his coat off and put his things down.

"I-I have no idea. He's been this way for hours," he said over the crying. "Here. Take him." He handed the baby to Andy, who quickly took the baby into his arms. "I-I gotta get outta here." He scooted past his father and the baby and vanished out the door without so much as a glance back.

Even outside, he could hear the faint sound of the baby crying. What had he done wrong? He had done everything he had done yesterday. He didn't understand it. Even as he stood outside his house, he could hear the baby still crying. Glancing back at the house of horrors, Ephram felt his world spinning out of control. What had he done to deserve this? Would he ever escape the mistakes of his past?

"Ephram?"

Ephram turned around to see Bright approaching him. "Hey, man. I thought that was you. I was just coming' to see you…" Bright noticed the expression on Ephram's face and frowned.

"You okay man?" he asked. Ephram glanced back at his house, before looking back at Bright. Undoubtedly he could hear the baby crying inside. Should he tell him what was going on or continue to keep it a secret?

"I'm glad to see you. I gotta talk to someone about this," he said, desperation in his voice. "I can't take this anymore."

A few minutes later, both boys sat on the couch in the studio as Ephram retold all that had happened in the past week or so, starting from when he found the baby on the doorstep to the very bad day he had experienced with him earlier.

Bright sat there for a second, a stunned expression on his face. "Woah," he said after a few moments. "Like…this is…" he trailed off. He looked at Ephram. "So is this kid really yours?" he asked.

"I don't know. Madison said it could either me mine or Jay's. We won't know for sure until the tests come back." Ephram looked down at his hands, which rested between his legs.

"So what are you going to do if this kid turns out to be yours? Like, are you going to take it with you guys to New York and take care of it?" he asked. _Good question. _Ephram had been thinking about that since day one.

"I have no idea. Madison signed adoption papers already….but…" he paused. "I dunno. I mean if it's mine I'd feel weird just giving him away, ya know?"

"Yeah, but giving it to good parents is better than it having a crappy life," Bright pointed out. They sat silently for a few moments. "Have you told Amy yet?"

Ephram looked up at Bright. "No. Not yet."

"Man, this would kill her," he said.

Ephram sighed, feeling as if Bright had dropped kicked him. "I know." He stood up. "I-I-I mean, I want to tell her. So much. But I'm afraid that it'll break her heart." By now, Ephram was pacing back and fourth in front of Bright.

"Everything is so messed up right now. It's like… Is this baby I'm taking care of my son or is he Jay's? Should I cancel my plans to go to New York with Amy in the fall because I'll have to stay here and raise this kid or should I go ahead with it?" Bright watched Ephram pace back and fourth, letting him vent. "I-I just can't believe Madison would do something like this!" Ephram exclaimed. "And when did she sleep with him? I just can't get that thought out of my head. We weren't exactly getting along t-towards the end, but I never though she'd…" he trailed off. "And not only that, but she doesn't even tell me she's pregnant… she just leaves!"

"Ephram-"

"Then! Then, because she decided to sleep with Jay while we were together, she has no idea who's kid this is, so she dumps him on my doorstep like he's trash! I-I I hate her! I can't even believe I once loved her! I-"

"Woah!" Bright said, cutting in on Ephram's rant. "I know this is all messed up, and your all tweaked out and whatnot. But bitching about what Madison did isn't going to change anything."

Ephram paused, knowing Bright was right. For once, Bright was looking at things objectively while Ephram was all over the place.

Finally, looking up at his best friend, Ephram asked, "So what would you do?"

"Me?" Bright paused, thinking about it. "I'd probably be doing the same thing as you are," he admitted. "You just gotta keep it together, man. Keep a clear head." Ephram sighed, glancing over at the piano sitting in the middle of the room.

"And… I know your not going to want to hear this… but.." Ephram looked back over at Bright, "..you gotta tell Amy what's going on."

"And risk her walking away from me? No. No way."

"Ephram, what the hell are you talking about?" Bright asked. "Amy loves you; I mean, for real. She's ass backwards, head over heels in love with you. Yeah, this will probably hurt her, but I can't see my sister walking away from you because of this," Bright told him honestly.

"But you don't know that for sure. And for right now, I just can't take that chance. And, I mean, I don't know what I'd do if the roles were reversed; how can I know for sure what she's going to do when she finds out?"

"Actually, if the roles were reversed, she'd know if it was actually….her kid…." Bright trailed off as Ephram shot him a look. "Never mind," he mumbled.

Ephram's gaze slid over to the window, looking over in the direction of the house. He was sure his father had already managed to calm the baby down and was probably picking up the kitchen. It was probably safe to go back inside. Maybe he could sneak up the stairs…

"You going to be okay?" Bright asked. "Hey, why don't you come back to my place for a while? Ya know, get away for a bit to calm down." Ephram looked over at Bright. "I got my PS2 hooked up now."

Ephram couldn't help but smile, even a little. "Sure. Why not. Beats going back in there…"


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_**Author's Note:**_Hi again! Here's another chapter. It's sort of a filler, if anything. A cute scene between Ephram and the baby. A few of the other characters in there. I already have the next chapter written, so an update will be MUCH faster for the next chapter. Possibly faster with some feedback ; )

* * *

"…Amy?"

"Huh?" Amy said, returning her thoughts to the present. She had grown more worried as the days passed by and still no word from Ephram. Since getting back together, they usually talked at least once a day, even if just to say hi, but lately their talks had been short and strained. Not to mention the fact she just *knew* something was up. She was always able to tell when something was going on with Ephram, whether or not he said anything.

"Things are still not back to normal between you guys?" Hannah asked, knowing her friend's problem was more important than the story she was in the middle of telling about the day's events at school.

Amy shook her head, looking past Hannah. "I just don't understand."

"Maybe he's not doing so well with some of his classes?" Hannah ventured.

"No. There's something going on that he's not telling me. I just know it." She began biting her nails, a habit that only comes to head when she's really nervous or struggling with something.

"Aww," Hannah said, leaning over and rubbing Amy's back with sympathy.

"I mean, why else would he be distancing himself from me?" Frustrated, Amy combed her fingers through her hair in attempt to try and figure out what was going on with her boyfriend.

"Maybe it's some guy thing?" Hannah guessed. "Have you asked Bright if he could possibly know?"

Amy shook her head. "The thought never really occurred to me…"

"I could ask Bright if he knows anything when I go over there later if you want me to?" Hannah asked.

Amy forced a smile. "It's okay. Thanks for the offer though." She fell silent. "Maybe he's having second thoughts with us together in New York?"

"You think that could be it?"

"Yeah. I mean, you know how everyone says guys have this huge commitment issue? Maybe Ephram is starting to have second thoughts about us going to New York and living together and is trying to have his own space right now or something." Amy smiled, feeling confident with her explanation.

"I'm going to call him later, get this all figured out. I mean, this is an easy enough problem to sort out, right?"

***

Ephram sat up in his bedroom, aimlessly surfing the internet on his laptop as he listened to a mix he had burned a while back. After the events of earlier that day, he needed something to get his mind off of things. He had gotten home from Bright's apartment a little while ago, making a straight path up the stairs and into his room once he had gotten home. Fortunately, his father was busy attempting to throw together a decent meal, he hadn't noticed Ephram had returned till he was halfway up the stairs.

Fortunately, Bright had been able to calm Ephram down incredibly simply by letting him vent when he felt the need, then putting in his input when he was finished. That had been exactly what Ephram had needed, someone his own age to listen to him, and give him feedback. Not that his father hadn't tried doing the same thing, it was just different talking to your best guy friend about something than your father.

Ephram found himself typing in questions about babies in the search engine, pulling up different websites and pages on the topic at hand. His eyes scanned the pages, looking for something he wasn't even sure he was searching for. On one page, it described the brain development a child goes through in the first few years of life while another page was an advertisement for some playschool in another state. Feeling as though this was getting him no where, Ephram typed in another search question in, this time the phrase being 'teen fathers'. Again, many page listings came up on the page; Ephram began to scan the list. One link caught his attention, and he clicked on it, bringing up a posting board designed for teen fathers all around the world to come together and talk. He then scanned all the 'topics,' and began clicking on the individual links and reading other guys' stories, taking in an odd sense of comfort as he read.

He was so caught up in reading the different posts that he hadn't even realized his father was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, his warm gaze stuck upon Ephram.

Andy was content standing there, studying his son as he stared at the laptop screen, extreme concentration displayed on his face. Finally, Andy decided to make his presence known, stepping further into the room. Ephram caught the movement from the corner of his eye, jumping a little. He sighed heavily, pulling out a headphone piece from his ear.

"Sorry," Andy said, walking farther into the room. "Whatcha doin' there?" he asked, pointing to the laptop, trying to begin some sort of conversation with Ephram, not wanting to jump right into the purpose of why he was standing there.

"Research," Ephram said quickly, closing the laptop shut so Andy wouldn't see.

"Oh," Andy said. "Dinner was a half hour ago; I called up to you, but you must have not heard me.."

"I had my headphones on," Ephram explained.

"I see that." The two grew silent. Ephram's gaze darted over the different things in his room, feeling as though he was under the spotlight.

"Was that all you came up here for?" he asked finally.

"Actually, no," Andy said, his hands now in his pockets. "I actually wanted to talk to you about the situation at hand." Andy walked over to the bed, and sat down on the edge, close to Ephram, but sure there was enough space between the two. Ephram shifted uncomfortably, setting his laptop down on the side of him, on the bed.

"Look, I'm sorry I freaked out and left you when you got home-" Ephram began, sure this is what this talk his father had planned was about and wanting to cut his lecture on responsibility short. He was understanding the whole responsibility bit better than ever these days, he didn't need to hear a lecture on it.

"This isn't what I came up here to talk to you about, Ephram. I'm not upset or angry with you about that," he assured him. There was another pause in the room. "Must have been quite an experience for you today though, huh?"

Ephram made a noise of agreement, nodding his head.

"This is new to us all. And we're all dealing with this in the best way for each of us. No one predicted something like this to happen, but it has, and it's something that we can't ignore or pretend isn't happening because it is."

"I know that," Ephram said, looking up from his lap.

"For a guy who's only had just about a week to come to terms with this, your doing extremely well with it all."

Ephram snorted. "No I'm not. You saw what happened today; I freaked out and left. He wouldn't stop crying, and I couldn't handle it."

"Some adults feel that way with a new baby in the house. I remember one night… you were only a few weeks old…" Andy smiled as his mind went back in time, back when Julia was alive and the two of them were happier than they had ever been. "Your mother had an errand or something she had to do, and left you in my hands. Being a doctor, I was so sure everything would be fine while she was gone, and I'd be a pro at it."

"But you weren't?" Ephram asked.

Andy laughed. "Not at all. It seemed as soon as your mom walked out the door, a switch had been thrown and you turned into this bundle of unhappiness. You cried and cried; no matter what I did, you wouldn't stop. I was going out of my mind after a half hour."

Ephram smiled slightly. "So what did you do?"

"The first thing that came to mind. I called your mother and begged her to come back home." The two of them smiled. "She walked through the door and I was already handing you over to her. And you know what? Less than ten minutes of her holding you, and she was able to quiet you down.

"You see Ephram, even adults can find it overwhelming at first. It's a lot to get used to all at once; don't sell yourself short."

Another pause as Ephram thought hard about something. Finally he spoke, "Dad… d-do you really think he's mine?"

"I'd be lying if I gave you an answer either way. Your guess is as good as mine until the test come back and we know for sure whether he is or isn't yours. At this point, all I know is that there is a helpless baby that's been entrusted into our care, and we need to care for him and be sure all his needs are met."

Ephram nodded.

"Have you told Amy about any of this?" Andy asked.

Ephram shook his head. "No." Andy sat there silently, looking at Ephram with an unreadable expression.

"Is that bad? I mean, I want to tell her, but I keep… imagining her breaking up with me. And the news alone…" he trailed off, imagining in his head for the millionth time the hurt expression on Amy's face.

"Well…I mean, that's a decision you need to make," Andy said, "but, being as the two of you are in a relationship, and a serious one at that, I think it'd be a good idea to tell her."

"I want to tell her, so much… I just can't handle loosing her from all of this. At first I held off telling her because we had just found out, and I didn't want to let her in on something that has so many uncertainties… but now I just don't wanna hurt her with this.."

"She's going to be surprised by the news either way, Ephram. And hurt, I'm sure. If the baby's yours, and the two of you continue with your relationship, she's bound to find out somewhere down the road. I think honesty is the best choice here. I've seen the two of you, and how you have been there for one another over the years. If anything, I'm sure she'll come around and understand and be there for you even. Don't not tell her in fear she's going to leave you, Ephram. Never assume things like that."

Ephram nodded, realizing now what he had to do.__


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Author's Note:** Hi all! I am SO SO sorry it took me so long to finish this story up. I have been without the net since a little before Christmas (here it is February). As if that wasn't bad enough, I had to bring my computer in to be completely wiped and everything needed to be reinstalled. Eek! Fortunately, I have my computer back up and running (better than ever, dare I say!) and the net has been returned as well! I hope you enjoy this chapter, along with the final two of this story. Feedback would be AMAZNG!

That night, Ephram awoke to the sound of the unhappy cries from the baby down the hall. Normally he was a heavy sleeper, always had been, however, he began to wake the moment he heard the baby's first stages of protest. Laying in bed with both ears on alert, Ephram waited for his dad to get up and tend to the baby. After a few moments of listening to he baby fussing, clearly working himself up as the seconds ticked on without anyone tending to him, Ephram stumbled out of bed and headed towards his dad's bedroom.

Quietly, Ephram pushed open the door which had been cracked open to begin with; the hallway light spilling into the room as Ephram walked in. He looked over at the large bed his dad slept in, barely able to notice the outline of a figure buried somewhere underneath the pillows and blankets, a faint but strong snoring sound somehow escaping through the pillows and blankets. Ephram smiled and shook his head as he walked over to the crib his father was borrowing from Nina. Reaching down, Ephram carefully scooped the baby up in his arms and quietly headed out of the bedroom. Once in the hallway, Ephram looked down at the baby, who had begun to settle down a bit.

"See, it's okay little guy," Ephram said, softly rocking him back and fourth in his arms. "Now, what's got you so worked up at four-thirty in the morning?" Ephram scanned the baby from top to bottom, looking for any obvious signs as to why the baby was crying. It took him all of thirty seconds to realize the awful odor coming from the baby's diaper.

"Oh god. I think I know what your problem is," Ephram said, making a face. Looking around, he tried to remember where he last saw the diaper bad filled with the supplies he would need to take care of the current problem at hand. Deciding to try looking downstairs, Ephram cautiously held onto the baby while slowly climbing down the stairs. He breathed a sigh of relief when his bare feet touched the living room floor and gave a small thanks to the higher powers for not falling down the stair with the baby. Squinting his eyes, which were still a little hazy with sleep, Ephram was able to spot the diaper bag fairly quickly.

Holding the baby close to him, he leaned over and turned a lamp on so that he could see what he was doing. Pulling the bag closer towards him, Ephram took a seat on the living room floor ad began pulling out a fresh diaper and wipes from the bag with his free hand. Finally, being extra careful of his movements, Ephram set the baby down on the floor in between his legs.

"Okay, lets get that smelly thing off you, huh?" With that, Ephram began the task of changing the baby's diaper. Having had his share of experience from the days before, Ephram was able to change the diaper a lot easier than previous attempts. He grinned as he looked down and surveyed his work, surprised himself at what he had learned to do. The baby, tired of sitting, began to roll over.

"Woah now, where do you think your going, huh?" he asked the baby, his hand resting softly on the baby's back. He sat there for a few moments and watched the baby, wondering if this is what his life was going to be like from here on out. It was hard not to like the little guy, he admitted to himself. He liked kids, he pretty much helped his mom raise Delia in his father's absences, he just never gave it much thought either way to having one of his own. Funny, he hadn't even thought it about much when he discovered the condom had broken that one time with Madison. He just assumed it was no big deal. He laughed at himself, at his stupidity, as he looked down at the baby, who was busy chewing on a toy that had dropped from the bag when Ephram had been searching for a diaper. Despite the baby being an interruption to his life the past week, he couldn't take it out on him; it wasn't his fault. None of it was. Ephram's thoughts wandered to Madison, wondering where she was at that very moment.

He wanted to hate her, a few days earlier if you had asked him his opinion of her, he wouldn't have held back as he let out a rant on how she had ruined his life. However, he had begun to cool down and look at things for what they were. He was sure she was just as scared and lost as he was when he found the baby that morning a week ago. She must have already left town when she found out she was pregnant since she never said a word to anyone, much less himself. No, he had let go of his anger for leaving the baby on his doorstep. However, he wasn't sure if he could ever forgive her for putting him in the position of having to wonder, and get a test, to find out of the baby was his or not. For cheating on him when he had been so in love with her. For taking the easy way out. That's what he was most upset with her about. He sighed, thinking of the mess that had become his life. He looked down when the baby had begun to fuss, getting bored with the toy that was now half slobbered on.

Smiling, Ephram lifted the baby up so they were eye to eye. "What? Huh?" He studied the baby's face, watching as the baby's gaze wandered all around, taking in his surroundings as he flickered his tiny fat tongue in and out of his mouth. "So, I know things have been a little crazy and confusing around here. Believe me, I get it. It was a shock to me too, this whole thing." He paused. "It's not your fault though, okay? We'll get this all sorted out. Once those tests come back…" he trailed off. What exactly was he going to do if they said the baby was his? He hadn't allowed himself to think about it, not wanting to face the reality of it. Giving the baby up seemed like the easy way out, not to mention he wasn't sure how he felt about that, given the bond he was beginning to form with the little guy. Then again, the baby could very well turn out to be Jay's… he wasn't sure how he felt about just handing the baby over to Jay, either. The guy wasn't exactly the type who seemed fit to be taking care of a baby.

"I actually have no idea what I want to do either way. No offense, your actually a pretty cool baby," he admitted. "I'm just not sure I can be a good dad right now. I-I mean, I'm planning on being in New York in a few months, I'll be busy with school… I won't be the kind of parent you deserve, y'know? And trust me, no dad is better than one who doesn't have time for you." The baby reached out, towards Ephram's face. "I'm not saying I've made up my mind, I'm just saying… I have no idea yet. I still have to tell Amy about all of this." Amy. _She must think I'm over being with her or something crazy like that,_ Ephram thought to himself.

"I've _really_ got to get on that, by the way," he said, both to himself and the baby, who let out one gigantic yawn. Ephram smiled.

"I agree, it's pretty late. Let's get back to bed, huh?" Holding the baby carefully against his chest, Ephram got to his feet and walked over to turn the light off before heading back up the stairs.

"Sweet dreams," Ephram whispered to the baby after putting him back in the crib. He glanced over at his father's lifeless form under the covers, still snoring away. He shook his head. "Yeah, and he thinks _I'm_ a heavy sleeper."

***

Across town, Amy looked up at the ceiling of her bedroom, arms crossed under her head as her mind raced with worry. Earlier, she had felt better, upbeat even, feeling as though she had figured out the big mystery surrounding Ephram's weirdness and absentness the past week or so. After her conversation with Hannah, she had even planned on calling him or stopping by and getting it all sorted out.

That was until she had talked to her brother.

She had dropped by earlier that day, hoping to find Ephram hanging out there with Bright. Normally, the rare times he wasn't with Amy, he would be over at Bright's house. Unfortunately that hadn't been the case, as Amy quickly discovered when she entered the small, messy, odd smelling apartment.

Bright had been fixing himself a bowl of cereal when she walked in.

"_Hey," she said, closing the door behind her. Her gaze quickly searching around the small apartment for her boyfriend._

"_Still confused about that knocking thing, I see," Bright observed, chewing the mouth full of cereal he had just popped in._

"_So I take it Ephram isn't here?" she asked, ignoring her brother's question. She sighed, already knowing the answer as she took a seat on the couch her father had brought out from storage when Bright had moved out. The couch had seen better days, she wouldn't have taken it, but her brother wasn't all that picky._

"_That he is not." He spooned in another bite of food._

"_Yeah…" she trailed off, deep in throught. "Bright, have you noticed something, I don't know, off with Ephram this past week or so?"_

_Bright stopped mid-chew. He looked over at Amy from the corner of his eye, then back down at the bowl. "Uh.. I haven't really seen him lately, actually, so…"_

"_But don't you think that's weird?" Amy asked, shifting on the couch so she was facing her brother, who sat on the other side of the couch. "I mean, usually when he's not with me, he's here. Then there's the fact that suddenly he's been nearly impossible to get a hold of." _

_Bright put the cereal bowl down in the coffee table in front of him and picked up his game paddle, un-pausing the game and attempting to keep busy. He was one of the worlds worst liars, he knew his sister would pick up on something if he didn't attempt to busy himself with something. "Yeah, I dunno. Maybe he's got mono or something."_

_Amy shot him a look. "He doesn't have mono, Bright." She paused. "He's hiding something from me, I can tell. I just don't know what. I thought he was just freaked out about us moving in together in the fall, but I don't know… I feel like there's something else."_

_Bright could feel the sweat beads forming on his forehead as he tried to focus on the task at hand on the game. "Yeah. Yeah, I bet it's that," he said quickly, wincing as he knew he was about to get busted. _

"_Okay, you know something," Amy said._

"_Amy-" Bright began._

"_Bright! I'm like, freaking out wondering what's going on with my boyfriend and you know something now tell me! Is he okay?" _

_Bright sighed and paused the game knowing there was no turning back now. "Look, I ran into him earlier today. He was like, on the verge of a nervous breakdown or something when I ran into him so we talked. That's it."_

"_And?" Amy prompted._

"_And… I told him he needed to talk to you about whatever is going on with him," he added. _

"_Is he okay? I mean, is it something serious? Is he going to break up with me?" she asked the questions in a rapid fire, one after another. _

"_He's got a lot going on right now," Bright admitted. Some heavy stuff. It's nothing like, he's not sick or anything. Everyone is okay," he assured her. "And I wouldn't worry about him breaking up with you. It's nothing like that he's just…"_

"_Got a lot going on right now. Yeah, I get that," Amy finished. "I just wish he'd talk to me instead of pushing me away."_

"_The only thing I can tell you is… the guys is really confused right now. He's got some things to figure out right now. I know it's hard, especially for you, but my advice is to step back, let him come to YOU and when he does… Support the guy. When I was talking to him, he was so worried about what you were going to say and how you were going to feel. I don't think he's told you yet because he doesn't have any answers himself." Bright studied his sister's expression, knowing she was confused and hurt. A part of him, the overprotective big brother part, wanted to tell her so she wouldn't have to keep guessing and worrying. However, he knew it wasn't something for him to tell her, Ephram needed to. _

Amy sighed, looking over at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside her. She knew Bright was right; whatever was going on with Ephram, she needed to let him tell her about it when he was ready. However, her heart ached and her mind raced with different scenarios, horrible ones that made her chest ache just thinking about them.

She would wait for Ephram to come to her with whatever was going on, she just wished he'd do it soon…


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Author's Note: **Finally, the chapter you all have been waiting for! Amy finally finds out about the baby! Also, this is the second to last chapter of this story. It took me a while to write these final two chapters, I came across MANY writer's blocks, but fortunately I was able to get through them and finally finish this fic! Enjoy the following chapter! I would love to hear you guys' thoughts, as this story is coming to an end.

The next morning, Ephram was up and out of bed earlier than usual despite the fact that it was the weekend and Andy was home to take care of the baby. The rest of the night, after having put the baby back to bed and returning to his own, Ephram tossed and turned, eager for the day to come. He had decided to finally tell Amy. Despite his fear of not knowing how she would react, he realized it wasn't fair keeping her in the dark and all but ignoring her, not when she had been by his side and him hers for so many other hard times in their lives. He was thankful when he heard the baby begin to fuss earlier that morning, having now an excuse to get out of bed and get things going. He crept into his father's bedroom, the same has he had done the night before, and lifted him out of the crib and snuck back out before his dad awoke. Having settled on sort of a routine that week, Ephram climbed downstairs and went about what he had done all week, as if his father wasn't even there.

By the time Andy did wake up and make his way downstairs and into the kitchen, Ephram already had the baby in his seat and was at the table feeding him. Andy blinked, unsure if what he was seeing in front of him was a dream or the real thing.

"Morning," Ephram said, nodding his head in his father's direction before dipping the spoon into the container in his other hand. He watched the baby, waiting till he was ready for another bite.

"Your up early," he observed, standing in the doorway; his hair suffering from a severe case of bed head. "I thought for sure you'd take advantage of my being home and catch up on some sleep," Andy said, walking further into the kitchen.

Ephram shrugged. "I have some stuff to do today."

"Well hi there fella. I didn't even hear you this morning," Andy said, looking down at the baby and smiling. "Looks like you've gotten the hang of things," he said to Ephram.

"Yeah, well, I kind of had to after your disappearing act earlier this week," he reminded him. "Who do you think took care of him all day while you were gone?"

Andy laughed. "Good point." He walked over to the counter where the coffee pot sat. He could smell the strong scent of it all the way upstairs, tempting him down to taste some. Reaching up into the cupboard, Andy grabbed a coffee mug and poured himself a cup. "So, what's on your agenda for today?"

Spooning the last of the food into the baby's mouth, Ephram replied, "I'm going to Amy's."

"You plan on telling her about the baby?"

Ephram spun around quickly to drop the empty container and spoon in the sink before returning his attention back towards the baby. "Yep."

"Good for you, son," Andy said, feeling proud of Ephram.

"Yeah, well, we'll see when she tells me to get lost," Ephram said, wiping the food off of the baby's face and hands with a damp towel. Oh yeah, he had put together a routine fast, especially when it came to meal time.

"For what it's worth, I highly doubt Amy'll tell you to get lost," Andy said. "I imagine she'll be surprised and perhaps even a bit upset, but I don't think she'll say that. You did nothing wrong."

"That doesn't help much, but thanks," Ephram said. Wiping his hands on his pants, he looked up at the clock hanging up on the wall. He still had some time to kill before he headed over. He cursed the time moving so slow, he just wanted to hurry up and get it out of the way, out in the open and stop lying to her about it.

***

Amy turned on the cold water and rinsed the plate off she had already washed before setting it down to dry. Reaching into the soapy water, Amy grabbed the next dish to be washed. Earlier that morning, she had offered to do the dishes for her parents, needing something to do other than sit around and wonder what Ephram had told her brother. She had decided to take her brothers advice and wait for Ephram to come to her, as much as it killed her to sit back and wait. At least washing the dishes kept her hands busy and allowed her to focus on something other than her uncertain future. Her father had sensed something was up when she offered to wash them while they went out, but thanks to her mother's womanly intuition, Rose had ushered her father out the door before he could pry anymore, leaving Amy with some quiet time to herself.

_I really should be doing some packing, _she said to herself. However, with things so uncertain, she wasn't sure if their plans to go to move to New York City were still happening or not. She sighed, the thought making her sad once more. It wasn't like she could get away from the subject for very long; she had folded up boxes laying against her wall that reminded her each time she saw them that things weren't normal, that her life was basically on pause until Ephram told her what was going on. The past week or so, she had exhausted herself with different possibilities as to what was going on with her boyfriend. Finally, she had decided that she would drive herself crazy if she allowed herself to think up the many different possibilities and forced herself not to think of any, although occasionally she broke her own rule and found her thoughts drifting into the 'What if's'.

Amy had been so caught up in her thoughts that when the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house a few moments later, she actually jumped and dropped the mug her father had used that morning for coffee back into the soapy water. She looked down, sighing with relief that at least she had dropped it back into the water and not into the empty sink to the side or worse, on the floor. Grabbing the towel beside her, Amy wiped her hands dry before heading towards the front door.

"Ephram!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief when she opened the door and found Ephram standing on the other side of it. Before Ephram could say a word, Amy was stepping towards him and rapping her arms around him. "Thank god you're here. I've been so worried about you!" she said a few moments later, after breaking away from his warm familiar embrace.

Ephram forced a smile and shifted his gaze to the floor, then back up at her. "I'm sorry I haven't come here soon, I've just been…" he trailed off, not wanting to get too ahead of himself. Amy looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear what had kept him distant and away from her the past week and a half. "Ah, why don't we sit down?"

Amy frowned. "It's something bad, isn't it?" she asked as Ephram put his hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the living room. He remained silent, unsure of how to begin as he took a seat beside her on the couch.

"Your breaking up with me, aren't you?" Amy said, before Ephram could begin. "That's why you've been avoiding me and why your having a hard time telling me."

"Wha? No Amy, that's not… I-I'm not breaking up with you. That's… not even close to what it is," he assured her.

"Then what is it, Ephram?" Amy asked. "What could be so important that you felt you couldn't come to me with it. I mean, we've always been able to talk to each other about stuff. Or so I thought…"

"It's not that I couldn't tell you about it. I just needed some time to figure things out." He reached for her hand. "The past week has been so crazy… and scary. There wasn't a day where I didn't want to see you or talk to you."

Amy forced a smile as she bit back tears. "So what is it, Ephram? What happened?"

Ephram looked away from her face, his gaze traveling miles away before returning back to Amy. "Last week, I found a baby on my doorstep. We-we brought him in and found a note."

"Oh god."

"It gets…worse," Ephram warned. Not wanting to draw it out any longer, he decided to get to the point. "The baby is Madison's. She was the one who left him on our doorstep. She couldn't take care of him anymore or something-"

"Wait, when was Madison pregnant? And why would she leave her baby on your doorstep, I mean-" She stopped mid sentence. "Oh god," she whispered, her chest feeling heavier by the moment as her brain put the pieces together. "It's yours. The baby…"

"H-h-he might not be though, Amy," he assured her quickly. "I-I-in that letter Madison left with him, she said the baby could be either mine or her ex-boyfriends. She left him with me because she knew he'd be safe with us and she knew my dad could do a D.N.A test to find out," he explained quickly, seeing her face fill with sadness. "We're still waiting for the test to come back. If he isn't mine, we'll have to find Jay and let him know. If he doesn't want him, she has adoption papers signed already. Everything's taken care of, we just need to wait for the results."

Ephram watched as a single tear broke away and slowly rolled down her face. He could tell the news was breaking her heart and there was nothing he could do to fix it; the situation was what it was. There was nothing anyone could do about it. She reached up and wiped the tear away before finally speaking. "And what if the baby is yours?"

"I haven't figured out that far ahead yet," he admitted, looking down at his lap. "Right now I'm kind of just taking it one day at a time."

"Ephram…"

"And I am so sorry, Amy, that I didn't tell you about any of this until now. I wanted to. God I wanted to. I didn't want to hurt you with this and…. And I was worried you'd leave me." He paused. "I still sort of am, actually."

"I love you, Ephram," Amy said with certainty. "Nothing can change that. I've known it since the first time we met." She force a smile and Ephram returned one of the same, both thinking about the years past. "But this… I just need some time to catch up. I just… I can't…" She closed her eyes, feeling her throat constrict and burn from trying to hold back the tears.

Ephram felt his own eyes begin to could with tears. "I understand," he said simply. "I'm so sorry, Amy. For everything. I never meant to hurt you…"

"I know you didn't," she said. "And this isn't goodbye, I just need some time," she assured him.

Ephram nodded. He remained seated beside her for another moment before standing up. He bent down and kissed her on the top of her head, feeling as if someone was reaching inside his chest and ripping out his heart.

"I'll let myself out," he said silently, before heading towards the front of the house. It took all the power in him to make his feet move forward, away from Amy and out the front door.

~*~

Amy waited until she heard the soft click of the front door closing before allowing the tears to finally come. Sitting on the couch still, Amy sat in the silence for a moment before a strangled sob escaped from her lips. Burying her face in hands, Amy allowed herself to cry.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Well, here is the final chapter. I look back and can't believe it took me so long to finish this story! I feel so bad, thinking of you guys and the wait you had the endure to get to this point. As a fellow fan-fiction reader, I know what it's like to find a fic I love and get into, only to find it has been left unfinished. I want to thank everyone who left me feedback. You guys were the ones who wouldn't let me slack off and forget this story, and for that, I am very greatful to you! I hope you enjoyed reading these final chapters and I hope I was able to stay true to the characters and the show, as it has been many years since I sat down and watched this show! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fic!

Amy paused only for a moment before walking up the walkway and up the steps to the front door of the Brown house. It had only been a few days since Ephram told her of the news, although it seemed like years since then. So much had changed that day for Amy. One minute she was packing her things and getting ready to start a new chapter in her life, taking one step closer to adulthood with her boyfriend; the next, her future was shattered into little pieces and scattered about. It had taken Amy almost a week before she had come to this point, standing out front of Ephram's house. The first few days consisted of crying, worrying and wondering where this news left her and Ephram and their future. Unable to muster the focus long enough to come up with any such answers, Amy reached out to her best friend, her brother and finally, her parents. All of a sudden, as quickly as the panic and worry set in, they disappeared and Amy was able to find some clarity. She had been so focused on how the news would effect her and her future with Ephram that it hadn't even occurred to her how Ephram felt and was going through.

She felt terrible once more thinking about it. She couldn't believe she hadn't stopped to think about Ephram, the person she loved most. She closed her eyes and recalled his face and the sound of his scared and confused voice as he told her the news. He had come to her and laid everything out, looking for nothing more than love and support from her and what did she do? She turned him away, needing time to think about things.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Amy continued up the front steps and knocked on the front door. The streets behind her were still and quiet, covered by the dark night's sky above. Funny, she hadn't noticed the stars were out until just now. Just as she returned her attention to the front door, she saw a shadow behind the thin curtains and the door opened in front of her.

Delia looked up at Amy from her worn baseball hat, a quick smile forming on her face. "Hi Amy!"

"Hey Delia. Is your brother home?" she asked, not seeing Ephram anywhere in sight behind the little girl.

"He's in the living room playing with the baby," she explained and in the next breath, hollered to her brother. "Ephram!" Amy forced a smile as she stood in the doorway and waited, Delia standing before her. A few seconds later, Ephram rounded the corner and came into view. It was then that she caught the first glimpse of the baby in question as Ephram held him close in his arms with a blue blanket around the small bundle.

"Amy."

"Hey Ephram," she said, unsure of where to begin. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment, Amy's gaze fixed on the fidgeting baby in her boyfriend's arms. At first, the sight of Ephram holding a baby seemed odd to Amy; misplaced even. However, as she studied Ephram holding the baby, she noticed both Ephram and the baby had grown used to one another. She watched as the baby reached up towards Ephram's face and smiled at the sight in front of her. "I uh, I probably should have called first. Your probably busy."

"No! I mean, I'm not. I was just getting him ready for bed," he explained, looking down at the baby then back up at Amy. She took a step towards them, wanting a better look at the baby. Ephram turned to his side to allow Amy a better view of the baby.

Amy stuck her pointer finger out towards the baby's chubby fists. "Hi there." She smiled when the baby looked up at her curiously as he opened his fist and squeezed her finger. "He's got a good grip."

Ephram smiled. "Yeah, he does." Amy looked up at him and the two stood there for a moment, frozen in place. After a moment, Ephram looked down at his sister who still stood by the doorway, looking curiously back and fourth between Ephram and Amy. "Delia, want to help put him to bed?"

"Sure!" she said excitedly.

Ephram looked back up at Amy. "Let me just hand him over to my dad and we can-"

"Oh, no rush. It's okay," Amy assured him quickly. "Do what you gotta do. I'll wait for you."

Ephram forced a smile. "If you want, you can come wait inside. It'll take like, two seconds to get him settled in," he promised.

"Y'know, I think I'll wait outside. It's actually really nice out."

He nodded. "Okay. Be right back."

As promised, five minutes later, Ephram joined Amy on the front steps outside.

"That was fast," Amy observed as Ephram took a seat beside her.

"Yeah, he goes down pretty fast. Once he hits that point, there's no stopping him," Ephram explained. The two fell into an awkward silence as they sat on the front steps.

Finally Ephram broke the silence. "So…"

Amy smiled. "So." Amy turned to face him. "First, I want to apologize for kicking you out of my house like that and then not calling you for a week."

"It's okay-" he began.

"No, it's not. You've got… so much happening and when you finally open up to me about it, I freak out and send you packing. I should have sat with you, talked to you about it." She sighed. "Instead, I made it about me and how I needed time to think about things. Your thoughts and feelings should have come first and I apologize."

"It's okay. Really. The past two weeks have been…. Insane," Ephram said. "If things were reversed and you dropped something like this on me, I'd be a little freaked out at first too so don't come down so hard on yourself." He looked down at his hands before speaking again. "I don't know what to do, Amy. A part of me hopes that he isn't mine. A big part. I mean, I can't just take him to New York City with me in the fall, not to mention the fact that I'm not ready to be in control of anyone's life. I can barely navigate my own." The two smiled at one another.

"But then I look at him, this helpless little person. He didn't ask for this. It's not his fault Madison gave up on him." He raked his hands through his hair as he felt frustrated once more. "And I want to hate her, I do. But then I think about how scared and shocked I was when I found him and I think, that must be how she felt."

Amy sat there silently beside him, listening as he vented, wanting nothing more than to take all of his worry away from him. Instead, she reached over and took his hand in hers. "It just seems unfair that she left him like that. Instead of talking to you or that other guy and actually finding out whose baby it was first before leaving, she just left it all up to you to arrange and take care of."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Ephram said simply. Silence fell between the two of them as they sat on the front steps outside of the Brown house. Finally, Ephram broke the silence. "So…. Where does this leave us?" he asked, almost afraid to hear her answer. He shifted his body so that he was facing Amy. The time had come; he had been worried sick about what Amy would do once she found out. If she'd stay. If she's leave him. While as he couldn't picture going through this without her, if she chose to separate herself from the mess his life had become, he wouldn't blame her. He would have to let her go. Verbalizing his thoughts, Ephram said, "I-I know you didn't sign up for this when we got together. A baby must have been the last thing you'd expect to pop up; I know _I_ never expected it." He paused. "The thing is, Amy, I don't know if this baby is my son or not. Not yet at least. And… I still haven't decided on what I'm going to do if he turns out to be mine. So I understand if your having second thoughts about us. I-I wouldn't blame you or anything."

. "Your right, Ephram; a baby is the last thing I'd have thought of popping up between us, especially a baby that wasn't… ours." She forced a smile. "But what I've learned from the past four years is that life..." She sighed, thinking back on the past few years with a genuine smile on her face, "…life is crazy! It can't be predicted, no matter how much we all wish it could be. The best laid plans can change in a moment." She pinned him with her gaze. "I was shocked when you first told me. Sad even at the thought of you creating a child with someone else," she admitted. "But never did I once think about leaving you to deal with all of this. I want you to know that no matter what happens; what the test says and what you decide to do, I'll support you. I'm here, I'm yours. I'm not about to leave you now. Not when you've been there for me."

Ephram felt a wave of relief crash through his entire being. He searched her face for any signs that the words she spoke were not genuine. Quickly he realized she spoke the truth. Overcome with emotion, Ephram felt tears threatening to spill down his face. Smiling, Ephram swiped the tears from his face before leaning in and capturing her lips with his own. Finally, after a few moments, Ephram pulled away, breaking off the kiss.

"I uh, I have something…" He stood up and reached into his back pocket for something before sitting back down. Amy watched as Ephram unfolded the envelop, which had been folded in half to fit inside his back pocket.

"Is that…" Amy said, her voice almost a whisper.

He nodded. "It arrived today. I-I wanted you with me when I opened it. Assuming you hadn't already run for the hills, that is." He forced a smile. The two sat there, staring down at the unopened envelop in Ephram's hand with a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

"You don't have to open it right now if you don't want to," Amy assured him. "Whenever your ready."

Ephram sighed. "I might as well get it over with. No time like the present, right?" He turned the envelop over and stared at it for a moment before he finally made a move to open it. Taking a deep breath, he took the piece of paper out. Ephram felt his hands shake as he held it in front of him so that both he and Amy could read it. Their gazes both skimmed over the perfectly type words, stopping cold when they came across the results. There in front of them, backed up by scientific evidence, were the results of the paternity test.

Amy felt tears forming in her eyes. Tearing her gaze away from the paper, she looked up at Ephram before reaching over and taking one of his hands into her own. "I love you, Ephram."

Squeezing her hand, Ephram said, "I love you too."

THE END


End file.
